UNITED STATES NEWS

Indiana man formally charged after weekend block party kills 1, wounds 17

Aug 4, 2023, 4:36 PM

FILE - Police work the scene of a shooting on July 30, 2023, in Muncie, Ind. A Muncie man was forma...

FILE - Police work the scene of a shooting on July 30, 2023, in Muncie, Ind. A Muncie man was formally charged Friday, Aug. 4, in connection with the weekend shooting that left one person dead and 17 others wounded in the central Indiana city. (Douglas Walker/The Star Press via AP, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(Douglas Walker/The Star Press via AP, File)

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — A Muncie man was formally charged Friday with two counts of aggravated battery and criminal recklessness in connection with a weekend shooting that left one person dead and 17 others wounded in the central Indiana city.

John L. Vance Jr., 36, was also charged in Delaware Circuit Court with possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.

Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman acknowledged the charges do not specifically refer to the shooting death of 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, of Muncie.

“This investigation is far from over. The investigation and any subsequent prosecution will go where the facts and evidence take it,” Hoffman said in a statement.

The shooting early Sunday unfolded at a block party in the city about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis attended by hundreds of revelers as police were calling the venue’s owner to shut down the gathering, authorities have said. Bonner was among those attending, Muncie Police Chief Nathan Sloan has said.

Police were aware that the owner of a business that periodically rents out space for events was hosting a block party that got “out of control,” with between 500 and up to 1,000 in attendance, Sloan said. Photos of the scene showed police tags marking what appeared to be dozens of bullets on the street.

Police were not at the scene at the time of the shooting just after 1 a.m. on Sunday, but they were trying to get the business owner to end the party, Sloan said.

“We made a phone call to the owner and asked him to get things shut down. The streets were packed. Before we could make contact and get something done, before we could get that shut down, the gunfire erupted,” Sloan said during a news conference a day after the shooting.

Sloan described a chaotic scene as officers and first responders arrived at the location on Muncie’s east side.

“Our people were applying tourniquets, administering first aid, providing CPR. And they we were rushing people to the hospital in our police cars because we didn’t have time to wait,” Sloan said.

After the shooting, police had to separate people in a Muncie hospital’s parking lot who were arguing and officers had to clear a path at the hospital’s entrance for anyone needing medical attention to enter, Deputy Muncie Police Chief Melissa Criswell said.

Vance, who was arrested Tuesday, continued to be held in jail Friday under a $105,000 bond. Online court records did not list an attorney for him.

Hoffman also filed the documents necessary to ask that Vance be declared a habitual offender, which could lead to a longer sentence if he is convicted of the pending charges.

The Muncie man’s record includes convictions for dealing in cocaine or a narcotic drug, resisting law enforcement, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, battery, domestic battery and false informing.

United States News

CORRECTS SPELLING OF LAST NAME TO VIERRA INSTEAD OF VERA - Leola Vierra looks at the remnants of he...

Associated Press

Lahaina family finds heirloom in rubble of their home on first visit after deadly wildfire

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Leola Vierra stepped gingerly among the hardened pools of melted metal, charred wood and broken glass that are almost all that remain of the home where she lived for nearly 50 years. Sifting through the rubble, she found two cow-patterned vessels, part of her extensive collection of bovine figurines. Nearby, her […]

23 minutes ago

FILE - President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden leaves after a court appearance, July 26, 2023, in Wi...

Associated Press

Hunter Biden sues Rudy Giuliani and another lawyer over accessing and sharing of his personal data

Hunter Biden sued Rudy Giuliani and another attorney Tuesday, saying the two wrongly accessed and shared his personal data after obtaining it from the owner of a Delaware computer repair shop.

55 minutes ago

A strike captain, right, leads the chants as strikers walk a picket line outside Warner Bros., Disc...

Associated Press

The Hollywood writers strike is over after guild leaders approve contract with studios

Leaders of the screenwriters union declared their nearly five-month-old strike over Tuesday after board members approved a contract agreement with studios, bringing Hollywood at least partly back from a historic halt in production.

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Alaska man charged with threats against Florida sheriff who spoke against antisemitic activity

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska man facing murder charges in state court has now also been indicted on federal charges of cyberstalking and threatening a Florida sheriff who spoke out against antisemitic activity, authorities said Tuesday. Joshua Wahl, 31, is accused of emailing a threat to Michael Chitwood, the sheriff of Volusia County, Florida, […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

With spying charges behind him, NYPD officer now fighting to be reinstated

NEW YORK (AP) — A suspended New York City police officer who had been accused — then later cleared — of spying for China is fighting to be reinstated, but the department wants him fired for refusing to be interrogated by the bureau of internal affairs exploring possible disciplinary. The fate of the officer, Baimadajie […]

3 hours ago

Follow @ktar923...

Sponsored Content by Schwartz Laser Eye Center

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

Sponsored Articles

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

Sanderson Ford...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford congratulates D-backs’ on drive to great first half of 2023

The Arizona Diamondbacks just completed a red-hot first half of the major league season, and Sanderson Ford wants to send its congratulations to the ballclub.

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

Indiana man formally charged after weekend block party kills 1, wounds 17