Denzel Givens and Christopher Rucker, both residents of South Bend, Indiana, have been sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty for illegally possessing firearms as convicted felons. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Givens received a sentence of 92 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Rucker was sentenced to 84 months in prison with an additional two years of supervised release.
Court documents reveal that in January 2024, Givens drove to a parking lot at an apartment complex in South Bend and parked facing a lane. Accompanied by Rucker, Givens opened fire on a passing car using two firearms. The occupant of the targeted vehicle returned fire. Givens discharged nearly 20 rounds, some hitting the occupied car and others entering nearby apartment buildings. After the incident, Rucker concealed both weapons used by Givens in a nearby apartment.
Both men had prior felony convictions prohibiting them from possessing firearms.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with support from the South Bend Police Department, St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office, and Indiana State Police Laboratory Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Katelan McKenzie Doyle and Joseph P. Falvey prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. On May 26, 2021, the Department introduced a strategy to enhance PSN focusing on community trust, support for violence prevention organizations, strategic enforcement priorities, and result measurement.