FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WISH) — A 16-year-old has been arrested on a preliminary murder charge after a 16-year-old was killed and three other people from ages 15 to 18 were injured early Saturday in a downtown Fort Wayne shooting, police said Monday afternoon in a news release.
News 8 reached out to Allen County Prosecutor Mike McAlexander, a Republican, to determine if the 16-year-old will be charged as an adult. Juveniles’ court records in Indiana are kept confidential unless the juvenile is charged as an adult. Police say that in addition to the murder charge, the juvenile could face charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
A news release from police identified neither the 16-year-old accused as the shooter nor the 16-year-old killed.
The release, though, said Ni’Shawn Jackson, 18, could face charges of attempted murder and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon in connection to the downtown mass shooting. A case for Jackson could not be found Monday afternoon in online court records.
The mass shooting happened just after midnight Friday near Harrison Street and Pearl Street in downtown Fort Wayne, just over a block northwest of the Allen County Courthouse. The shooting came just over an hour after the end of Fourth of July fireworks shot from the 27-story Indiana Michigan Power Center in downtown Fort Wayne.
Police said in the release issued Monday that investigators seized firearms after a search warrant was issued, but no details were provided.
The names of the people injured also have not been shared publicly.
The police chief asked anyone with information to contact Greater Fort Wayne Crime Stoppers at (260) 436-7867 or the police department’s tip line at (260) 427-1201, or submit anonymously via the P3 Tips app.
Police Chief Scott Caudill said in the release issued Monday that the mass shooting is part of “a concerning trend of gun violence involving our youth.”
Fort Wayne has had 19 homicides so far in 2025, and he said “several” of the cases involved juveniles or young adults as people killed or injured, or as perpetrators.
Caudill also said Monday that the department had added officers to patrol downtown during the summer. He also said his department will continue to work with parents, schools and community organizations to provide “positive outlets and greater supervision” for youths.
Democratic Mayor Sharon Tucker, in a social media post on Saturday, said, “It’s imperative for our young people to be respectful of one another. … We need parents and caregivers to know where their children are and come alongside us to ensure youth are engaging in positive activities.”
The mass shooting was one of two in Indiana early Saturday. In downtown Indianapolis just before 1:30 a.m. Saturday, a mass shooting killed two teens, and injured a 16-year-old, a 17-year-old, two 19-year-olds and a 21-year-old. No arrests have been announced in that mass shooting.
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