FORT WAYNE, Ind. – A Fort Wayne man accused of shooting at three men on Christmas Eve has had an attempted murder charge exchanged for a murder charge by prosecutors.
The shooting, which took place near the intersection of Hanna and Tillman Streets, left three men in a car. One of the men was shot but remained in stable condition, while another was not struck by the gunfire. The third victim, identified as 25-year-old Javion Grandberry of Fort Wayne, sustained life-threatening injuries and died on Dec. 29.
The alleged shooter, 28-year-old Deondre Jones, originally faced three counts of attempted murder. However, the charges have now been modified to include one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, one count of criminal recklessness, and a sentencing enhancement for using a gun in the alleged offense, carrying a possible sentence of more than 160 years.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Officer Nicholas Lichtsinn described the shooting as “coordinated and premeditated” after viewing surveillance footage from the area at about the same time as the incident. The man who was not shot told police that the victims were leaving a location together just before the shooting, and there had been no arguments or conflicts while they were there.
No court dates have been scheduled in this case.