JASPER CO. – 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 traveling 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. 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 car.
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 who was an occupant of 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
- Two counts of Battery with a Deadly Weapon- Level 5 Felony
- 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.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent unless convicted through due legal proceedings. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
