Indiana Judge Steven Meyer allegedly shot by unknown suspect at home

the Indiana judge He was shot by an unknown gunman in his home, and previously made headlines in the case of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian refugee accused of disguising herself as a child.

The shooter, who remains at large, allegedly knocked on the entryway of the home of Judge Stephen Meyer and his wife, Kimberly Meyer, around 2:15 p.m. Sunday before firing a shot through the front door, according to an audio dispatch obtained by Fox News Digital.

Steven Meyer was shot in the arm, while Kimberly Meyer was shot in the hip, according to authorities. The couple then received medical treatment and their condition became stable after the shooting.

Judge Meyer previously made national headlines in 2022 while presiding over the trials of then-married couple Michael and Christine Barnett, Grace’s adoptive parents.

The suspected gunman uttered four words before shooting an Indiana judge and his wife: Send audio

An Indiana judge and his wife were injured in a shooting in Lafayette Sunday afternoon as local, state and federal authorities investigated. (Tippecanoe Superior Court)

Grace, a Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism whose adoptive parents claim she pretended to be a child and terrorized their family, was adopted by the couple in Indiana in April 2010. At the time, the Barnetts believed she was 6 years old.

However, after six months of alleged strange behavior, the Barnett family claimed that their daughter was actually an adult woman defrauding her family.

The couple pointed out Grace’s disabilitya form of dwarfism called congenital spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, gave her a small frame that made her true age unknown without medical tests. In addition, due to flooding in the Ukrainian hospital where Grace was born, her birth certificate was lost – making it impossible to verify her age.

According to the Discovery investigative team’s documentary, “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks,” Barnett’s family described Grace as a “con artist” and “sociopath,” and accused her of hoarding knives, placing thumbtacks on the floor facing up and trying to poison her adoptive mother with pine sol.

Ukrainian orphan Natalia Grace denies plot to kill American adoptive parents, pretending to be a child

Screenshot of Natalia Grace on the “Dr. Phil Show.” (Dr. Phil)

“I threatened to stab my sons and drag their bodies outside and bury them under the deck,” Michael said in the documentary.

He added: “I promise you that in five years someone will die.”

However, Grace claimed the couple abused her while she was living under their roof, and revealed in the documentary that she was pepper-sprayed three times and given a triple dose of prescribed heart medication.

Natalia Grace is pictured smiling as Kristen Barnett looks away at her computer. A Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism has spoken out against her adoptive parents’ claims that she posed as an adult. (investigation discovery)

Grace said in the series: “There is a hidden truth in every lie, but you have to dig hard enough to see it.” “They won’t get away with this. That’s my side of the story.”

Barnett Your petition has been submitted successfully The Marion County Circuit Court decided to change Grace’s year of birth from 2003 to 1989, making her legally 22 years old.

An adopted girl accused of “dressing up” when she was 6 speaks out in new doc: ‘Do I look like a monster to you?’

Michael and Christine Barnett, who appeared in their photos, were charged with multiple counts of neglect of a dependent in 2019. But a jury found Michael not guilty in 2022, and the charges against Christine were later dropped. (Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office)

According to the documentaryThe couple moved Grace into an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, and fled to Canada with their three biological children. Shortly after moving into the house, a neighbor noticed that Grace was having difficulty feeding herself and doing basic household chores.

In September 2019, the Barnetts were charged with multiple counts of neglect of a dependent, stemming from Grace’s disability.

During Michael Barnett’s trial, Judge Mayer ordered that Grace may only be referred to as an adult, citing the court’s previous ruling regarding her year of birth, according to exponent. Judge Mayer also reportedly issued a gag order on all parties after the couple participated on “Good Morning America” ​​in 2019.

A jury found Michael Barnett not guilty in 2022, while Judge Meyer dismissed Christine Barnett’s charges in 2024.

Questions facing family who claimed to have adopted ‘disguised’ 6-year-old adult: Lawyer

Two people were shot about 2:15 p.m. Sunday in the 1700 block of Mill Pond Lane in Lafayette. The house is the home of Tippecanoe Superior 2 Judge Steve Meyer and his wife, Kim, according to neighbors. Police said that the condition of the two wounded in the shooting was stable. (Ron Wilkins/Journal & Courier/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Grace has not been named as a suspect in Myers’ shooting, nor has she been charged with a crime.

the Lafayette Police Department Michael and Christine Barnett did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the case. Fox News Digital was unable to locate Grace for comment.

No arrests have been made Officials have not released a description of the suspect. It was not clear how many shots were fired, although police found shell casings at the scene.

In a written statement, Kimberly Meyer spoke after the shooting and thanked investigators and first responders for their response to the incident.

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“I have great confidence in the investigation being conducted by the Lafayette Police Department and I want to thank everyone Agencies concerned with their workshe said in part. “We are also extremely grateful for the outpouring of support from the community; Everyone was so kind and sympathetic.”

Authorities urged anyone with information to call the Lafayette Police Department at 765-807-1200.

Christina Coulter contributed to this report.