Police arrested a Kokomo man Thursday after they say he was linked to a shooting earlier this year on the city’s South Side.
Harron Jamil Burnett Jr., 18, is now charged with attempted murder, a Level 1 felony, and criminal recklessness, a Level 5 felony, for his alleged role in the case, according to a Kokomo Police Department news release.
On the afternoon of Feb. 28, officers responded to the Speedway gas station, 930 S. Washington St., in reference to a report of shots fired that damaged a vehicle and the front of the gas station, according to an affidavit of probable cause that this is filed week in the case.
Police also say the vehicle and gas station were both occupied at the time the shooting occurred.
Investigators eventually found more than a dozen 9mm casings in the area. Witnesses say the alleged shooter was standing, court documents show, and those shell casings were sent to Indiana State Police for forensic examination.
Police were also able to capture the alleged shooter on surveillance footage, and the man who was allegedly shot at told police at the time that he had gotten into an argument with Burnett.
Police also investigated two other shots fired incidents in March, although it is unclear from the probable cause statement whether either case involved the same man who was allegedly shot during the February incident at the Speedway gas station.
However, during both incidents in March, police obtained numerous 9mm casings, which they sent to the ISP laboratory for “comparison purposes.”
And like the Speedway gas station shooting, police say they were also able to capture the alleged shooter on video surveillance.
Ultimately, ISP completed their analysis of the 9mm shell casings from all three shooting incidents, and investigators discovered that the casings had all been fired from the same gun.
According to investigators, that gun was also “observed” on surveillance footage during one of those incidents in March, which was fired by a man “with the body size and build” of Burnett, according to court documents.
An arrest warrant was issued for Burnett on June 13, and he was taken into custody without incident at a residence in the 200 block of East Harrison Street.
Police say a search warrant was also served at the home, where additional weapons and ammunition were reportedly located. However, investigators have not indicated whether any of the seized guns were involved in the shootings.
This case remains under investigation and anyone with additional information is asked to contact Captain Bruce Rood at 765-456-7332 or the KPD Hotline at 765-456-7017. You can also submit tips anonymously by calling Central Indiana Crime Stoppers at 1-800-262-TIPS, downloading the “Kokomo PD” mobile app or texting TIPKPD to 847411.
