On Friday, October 25th, at approximately 8:15 p.m., the Indiana State Police Regional Dispatch Center in Lowell received a 911 call of an interstate shooting that occurred on I-65 near the 215 mile-marker (Rensselaer Exit) in Jasper County. The caller told the dispatcher that someone had shot at him while he was traveling southbound, and that he had sustained a gunshot wound. The suspect continued southbound, but the caller was able to give an accurate description of the suspect's vehicle.
Lafayette District Troopers, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, and the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department were also notified of the suspect vehicle, and it was later successfully located on I-65 near the 166 mile-marker, which is south of Lafayette. Officers performed a felony stop on the vehicle and three occupants were detained. A 9mm Glock handgun was also located inside the vehicle.
The three occupants were transported to the Lafayette Post where the Indiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division at the Lowell Post responded to further investigate. As a result, charges were filed this morning against one individual that was an occupant in the vehicle. Dwayne Lumont Johnson Jr., 19, from Country Club Hills, Illinois, has been charged with the following offenses:
- Attempted Murder- Level 1 Felony
- Aggravated Battery- Level 3 Felony
- Battery with a Deadly Weapon- Level 5 Felony (2 counts)
- Criminal Recklessness- Level 6 Felony
The victim in this incident was transported to a hospital in Lafayette and then later to Indianapolis for treatment of the gunshot wound. He is expected to recover. The other two occupants in the suspect vehicle were released and are not facing any charges.
All suspects are presumed to be innocent until/unless proven guilty in court.
