South Bend man charged in fatal shooting at large party hosted by college students

SOUTH BEND — A South Bend man has been taken into custody in the 2021 shooting death of Montell O'Neal in a house in the 800 block of East Washington Street.

Javante Walker, 25, has been charged with murder and a firearms enhancement charge. He was taken into custody on Tuesday and is scheduled to appear in Superior Court on Thursday afternoon.

According to charging documents, O’Neal, 24, was shot and killed on Sept. 12, 2021, in a house in the 800 block of Washington Street, where a large party was taking place. An investigation by the Metro Homicide Unit and the South Bend Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit found O'Neal inside a house with multiple gunshot wounds, and he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

More: Neighbors want stronger penalties for large parties in college rental houses in South Bend

Investigators said a witness told officers that O'Neal had a verbal dispute with a man at a bar earlier that day, and another witness reportedly identified Walker as the man who had the altercation with O'Neal.

Investigators said in documents they got search warrants for cell phone data and said the data suggested that Walker, O'Neal and both witnesses all were at the bar and at the Washington Street house at the same time.

The shooting death on East Washington Street prompted neighbors to complain about large parties and other complaints. The house was found to have been rented by Holy Cross College students, and neighbors asked for stronger neighborhood laws because of the many police visits to the area for such complaints as excessive noise, large numbers of party-goers and drinking in public.

If convicted, Walker could face a sentence of 45 to 65 years for the murder charge and from five to 20 years for the firearm enhancement charge.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend man charged in 2021 East Washington Street shooting death