A Bloomington 16-year-old allegedly shot a 14-year-old March 15 after an argument on Snapchat. The alleged perpetrator was charged with four felonies.
Officers responded to South Rogers Street at 5:51 a.m. after receiving several reports of shots fired. They located five 40-caliber bullet casings in the area, according to a police affidavit.
The victim was transported to IU Health Bloomington Hospital with two gunshot wounds, one on his calf and the other on his buttocks.
The alleged perpetrator was transported to Monroe County Jail around 4 p.m. and was arrested and charged as an adult with attempted murder, aggravated battery and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.
The alleged perpetrator’s court hearing is set for Wednesday afternoon.
According to the affidavit, the victim identified the alleged perpetrator during an interview and said the incident stemmed from an argument over Snapchat earlier that morning. They both agreed to meet for a physical fight in front of the trailer homes of South Rogers Street. Several others were involved in the interaction, but they were not identified in the affidavit.
Police interviewed the two juveniles who were on the scene, but neither would provide information on who the suspect was. One told the police that the suspect reached for a firearm and started shooting at the juveniles as they ran away.
According to the affidavit, the interaction was captured on video from Dorothy Apartment Rental.
BPD Capt. Ryan Pedigo said police contacted the perpetrator’s mom early Monday morning after the victim identified the shooter. The mother said she had not seen or heard from her son since the morning of March 14 but would bring him to BPD when he came home. Later that afternoon, the two came into the BPD office, and after five minutes of questioning the perpetrator did not wish to answer more questions. The perpetrator's mother, in an interview with the Indiana Daily Student, said the police told her on March 14 they wanted to talk to her son about an potential intimidation charge; she and her son did not know he was being accused of attempted murder until they were at the police station and he was being questioned.
According to the affidavit, BPD determined the perpetrator "knowingly and intentionally” attempted to murder the victim based on the evidence.
CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to clarify when the perpetrator and his mom were told he was being accused of attempted murder.
