Affidavit: Teen charged in double shooting said he 'killed 2 people'

EVANSVILLE — The teenager accused of shooting two Vanderburgh County brothers last month, one of them fatally, reportedly sent Snapchat messages afterward saying he "killed two guys" while "trespassing."

Authorities also say the teen sent pictures of a gun resting on what appeared to be his blood-stained pants.

On Wednesday, 18-year-old Austin Ousley was officially charged with felony murder and attempted murder after police say he shot two men inside a rural Vanderburgh County farmhouse on Feb. 27. He's accused of killing 36-year-old Shawn Wildt and seriously wounding Wildt's brother, 42-year-old Chad Wildt.

Police said both men were unarmed and had come to investigate break-ins at the residence, which the Wildt family owns. Ousley and a friend were reportedly seen entering the house at 5100 Cypress Dale Road on a trail camera.

After leaving the scene of the shooting, Ousley reportedly shot himself in the head while parked at the Rural King on Morgan Avenue. He survived and was initially listed in critical condition, but his status wasn't known as of Wednesday.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson will provide an update to media Wednesday afternoon, he said.

According to court records, Prosecutor Diana Moers on Wednesday filed three charges against Ousley: murder and attempted murder, both Level 1 felonies, and breaking and entering a residential dwelling, a Level 6 felony.

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A probable cause affidavit was unsealed in the case on Wednesday. It provided new details on what investigators say happened before, during and after the shooting.

According to the affidavit, Ousley and a 17-year-old friend – who police haven't publicly identified – were captured on trail cameras set up by the Wildts outside the residence. Police say Ousley can be seen in the footage "with a firearm in a holster" on his hip.

In a 911 call the 17-year-old placed about 10 minutes after the shooting, he said he and Ousley came to what they thought was an abandoned house to "take pictures." The Wildts eventually showed up and an "altercation ensued," the juvenile said.

"(The juvenile) said Austin began shooting at the two men," the affidavit states.

'I was trespassing'

Perhaps most importantly for prosecutors, detectives also said they uncovered an apparent confession from Ousley's social media messages.

"I just f*****g killed 2 guys," one of the messages stated, according to the affidavit. "I was trespassing."

A photo message Ousley allegedly sent via Snapchat also showed a "black and brown handgun" resting on what appeared to be Ousley's blood-stained jeans, detectives said.

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Sheriff's deputies and city police later located Ousley outside the Rural King suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Robinson publicly released video footage of Ousley's apprehension.

"We're going to have to drag him out of the car," one of the responding officers is heard saying as police surrounded Ousley's pickup truck. "There's two guns up there."

The footage also shows deputies interviewing the man who first located Ousley at the Rural King. The man told deputies he rushed to the store after he saw Ousley post "suicidal" messages on Snapchat.

"He's not been responsive at all to me; I haven't gotten a single word out of him," the man said. "His arms and stuff were still moving and he was still breathing."

One of the weapons police allegedly recovered from Ousley's vehicle, a .45 caliber handgun, matched the caliber of bullet casings recovered from the farmhouse, according to detectives.

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The sheriff's office has said little about Ousley's current condition. Shortly after the shooting, Robinson said Ousley appeared to have suffered "permanent brain damage."

Moers told the Courier & Press her office would "continue to monitor the situation and act accordingly." She would not comment on the status of the juvenile's case.

According to court records, a warrant for Ousley's arrest was issued Wednesday. A Vanderburgh County judge ordered Ousley to be held without bond if he were to be taken into custody.

It remains unclear when, or if, Ousley will be deemed fit to stand trial.

Shawn Wildt had two daughters with his wife of 10 years. According to his obituary, "he hunted, fished, and cooked offensively well."

The Wildt family has publicly said that Chad's condition is improving. He underwent "multiple surgeries over the span of 11 days," the affidavit states.

Houston Harwood can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com. Contact Jon Webb at jon.webb@courierpress.com.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Teenager charged with murder in double shooting of Evansville brothers