Man found guilty in 2022 killing at backyard party
Update: Braven Harris was found guilty of murder, in connection with the death of Payton Wilson, on Jan. 10, 2024, court records show.
Payton Wilson was trying to get to the bottom of a dispute before he was killed at a backyard party on Indianapolis’ east side in June.
The 23-year-old was shot in front of at least eight other people, who spoke to police and said they either saw or heard the deadly gunfire. Using witness statements, investigators identified Braven Harris as the man who pulled the trigger, according to a probable cause affidavit for Harris' arrest.
Harris, 18, was arrested Monday and preliminarily charged with murder in connection to the fatal shooting on June 30, 2022 in the 1000 block of Harlan Street, court records show.
Before he was killed, Wilson enjoyed playing baseball, going bowling, writing and singing rap music and spending time with his family, according to his obituary.
“He was generous and would have given his last dime or the shirt off his back to someone in need,” Wilson’s obituary reads. “He was also the most loyal person one could ever know.”
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In the early morning hours before the shooting, Wilson was trying to solve an ongoing dispute at the home where the party was being hosted, according to the affidavit.
One of the party attendees told investigators Wilson bought food for a member of the Harlan Street home and was there to figure out who had been stealing it, while two others stated Wilson was trying to find out what happened to some missing money.
Wilson was trying to speak with members of the Harlan Street household when he asked two other men to leave the party. It was supposed to be a “family conversation,” one witness told investigators.
One of the men asked to leave the party by Wilson was known as “B” by several witnesses and later identified as Harris by police, according to the affidavit.
As Harris and the other man stood up after being asked to leave, Harris fired shots at Wilson then fled with the other man in a vehicle, according to several witness statements.
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“(Witness) stated the shooting was unexpected, and Braven gave no time for anyone to push Payton out of the way or attempt to save Payton,” the affidavit reads. “(Witness) stated he couldn’t believe Braven Harris would shoot Payton in front of everyone because they all know M.A. and Braven Harris.”
Investigators also used messages from Harris’ Instagram account to tie him to the deadly shooting. Harris discussed having to leave town, getting a new phone, the police looking for his car and detectives showing up at his house in the messages, according to the affidavit.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office determined Wilson’s cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds. A second man was injured in the shooting, according to investigators.
Officers were dispatched to the 2400 block of Prospect Street, just a few blocks from the Harlan Street house, a few minutes after Wilson was shot. The man on Prospect Street had multiple graze wounds and was transported to a hospital, according to the affidavit.
An attorney for Harris was not yet listed in online court records before publication of this story.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis crime: Braven Harris guilty in killing of Payton Wilson
