Bloomington police recover stolen gun during investigation into shootout between two teenage males on city’s southside Monday

Update:

NEWS RELEASE – Update

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

________________________________________________________________

October 17th, 2023

For more information, please contact:

Detective Lieutenant Lucas Tate

Bloomington Police Department

(812)349-3307

[email protected]

Bloomington Police Respond to Shots Fired – Update & Arrests

On October 16th, 2023, Bloomington Police Detectives continued their investigation into the shooting that occurred in the 300 block of E Winslow Road. Investigators reviewed video footage and conducted multiple interviews. The two men involved were located, detained and interviewed.  At the conclusion of interviews, Detectives arrested Shauntrell Juran Watts, Jr., and Antowyne William Dupreee Osborne for the following charges:

• Shauntrell Juran Watts, Jr. (19, Bloomington): Attempted Murder, Level 1 Felony; Criminal Recklessness, Level 5 Felony; Pointing a Firearm, Level 6 Felony.

• Antowyne William Dupree Osborne (18, Bloomington): Criminal Recklessness, Level 5 Felony; Theft (possession of stolen handgun), Level 5 Felony; Unlawful Carry of a Handgun, A Misdemeanor. 

Investigators determined that the two involved men knew each other and got into a verbal altercation in the Winslow Plaza parking lot. During the argument, both men produced handguns and fired at each other. Osborne fled the scene as a passenger in a white SUVprior to the arrival of officers. The white SUV was located a short time later in the 2100 block of S Rockport Road. As officers were giving Osborne commands in an attempt to take him into custody, officers observed him crouching down near the front of the white SUV. Once he was detained, officers located a handgun that had been placed in the grill of the vehicle. Officers determined that the firearm had been reported as stolen from a nearby apartment complex. 

Investigators were able to locate video footage of the shooting and determined that Watts would be arrested as well. He was located later in the afternoon, interviewed again by investigators, and arrested for the above listed charges. 

No further information is available for release at this time.

###

Under Indiana law, criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – OCTOBER 16: Police wait in the 2300 block of South Rockport Road, which they shut down for a few hours, on October 16, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. A press release about a shooting didn’t explain why the police had the street shut down, but said they were conducting an investigation in the area. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – OCTOBER 16: Police wait in the 2300 block of South Rockport Road, which they shut down for a few hours, on October 16, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. A press release about a shooting didn’t explain why the police had the street shut down, but said they were conducting an investigation in the area. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – OCTOBER 16: Police wait in the 2300 block of South Rockport Road, which they shut down for a few hours, on October 16, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. A press release about a shooting didn’t explain why the police had the street shut down, but said they were conducting an investigation in the area. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – OCTOBER 16: Police wait in the 2300 block of South Rockport Road, which they shut down for a few hours, on October 16, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. A press release about a shooting didn’t explain why the police had the street shut down, but said they were conducting an investigation in the area. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – OCTOBER 16: Police investigate after gunfire was exchanged by two teenage males in the 300 block of Winslow, on October 16, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – OCTOBER 16: Police investigate after gunfire was exchanged by two teenage males in the 300 block of Winslow, on October 16, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – OCTOBER 16: Police investigate after gunfire was exchanged by two teenage males in the 300 block of Winslow, on October 16, 2023 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)

After being alerted to an exchange of gunfire involving two men, the Bloomington Police Department arrived at a shopping plaza on the 300 block of E. Winslow Road at approximately 1:46 p.m. on October 16th, 2023, according to a press release. Police began to investigate.

No injuries were reported at the scene, but investigators discovered that a nearby building had been struck by bullets. Witnesses informed law enforcement that a white SUV hastily departed the area shortly after the shooting, its rear window shattered, according to police.

A short time later, according to police, officers spotted a white SUV matching the description on S. Rockport Road, leading to a traffic stop in the 2300 block of S. Rockport Road. The occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody without incident for further questioning. As the investigation unfolded, S. Rockport Road was closed to traffic.

Police were outside a residence on Rockport Road for several hours with long guns readily available, but the press release doesn’t say why, or if it was related to the shooting.

According to the press release, several eyewitnesses who were present during the shooting incident were interviewed by authorities. Additionally, surveillance footage from nearby businesses was reviewed, shedding light on the events that transpired. It was revealed that the individuals involved in the exchange of gunfire were identified as an 18-year-old man and a 19-year-old man who were known to one another. Authorities have emphasized that this incident was not a random occurrence.

During the investigation, Bloomington Police Detectives also uncovered a stolen firearm, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing inquiry. Detective Lieutenant Lucas Tate stated that the investigation remains active and in progress, with no further details available for immediate release.

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