Two arrested in shootout that killed east side Indianapolis barber
Two men have been arrested and investigators are trying to identify a third man more than one year after a shooting at an Indianapolis barbershop left two customers injured and one dead.
Police found several dozen fired cartridge casings and bullets along with two guns inside Champz Barber Shop at 4615 East 10th Street.
Kevin Lamont Stigger, 24, was killed in the shooting on the afternoon of Sept. 30, 2022. Stigger’s friend, identified in court records by his initials, managed to flee the barbershop with a gunshot wound in his leg. He ran to a bank down the street for safety.
A 68-year-old woman told investigators she was in the barber’s chair when she heard gunshots. She fell to the floor to try and protect herself but was shot in both legs and then transported to a hospital in critical condition.
Court records indicate the shooting was between two groups of men that none of the three victims knew. Jamion Johnson and Rondale Patterson, both 20, have been arrested in connection with the shooting.
Johnson is facing charges of attempted murder, reckless homicide and criminal recklessness and was arrested Friday. Patterson is charged with criminal recklessness and unlawful carrying of a handgun and was arrested in July.
Surveillance video from inside the barbershop showed neither fired the bullet that killed Stigger.
Johnson and Patterson detained by a patrolling officer
An officer patrolling the area spotted Johnson and Patterson running from the barbershop. One of the men was limping and carrying a gun, according to the probable cause affidavit for Johnson’s arrest.
Within seconds of spotting the two men, officers were dispatched to the barbershop shooting. Johnson and Patterson were detained, and two firearms were located on the ground near them, police said.
In an interview with detectives, Patterson stated he and Johnson were dropped off at the barbershop and that Johnson was one of the shooters.
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Johnson stated he and Patterson were waiting in the barbershop when two men entered with handguns. Johnson said he saw one of the men grab a handgun from his waist, so he fired at the man six times in self-defense, according to the affidavit.
Surveillance video from inside the barbershop showed the two men entering the barbershop and Johnson shooting at one of them 20 seconds later. The affidavit does not mention either of the two men reaching for a gun beforehand Johnson fired.
The man Johnson shot at dove to the floor as Johnson ran to the back of the barbershop. The man Johnson shot at then appears to mistake Stigger for Johnson as they have similar builds and were wearing similar clothing, according to the affidavit.
The man, who has not yet been identified, shot at Stigger multiple times as he tried to flee the barbershop. Stigger died from a gunshot wound to his head, investigators determined.
The surveillance video also showed Patterson shooting a handgun multiple times at one of the men who had entered the barbershop moments before. The man who shot Stigger and the man with him fled the barbershop in the surveillance video.
Police later found a maroon Dodge Charger in a parking lot near the barbershop that the two men had arrived in shortly before the gunfire began. Investigators identified the owner of the vehicle, who stated he fired five times during the shooting. The Dodge's owner wasn't arrested in the case as of Wednesday.
The owner of the Dodge would not identify his friend to police. Detectives believe the friend is who shot Stigger. Investigators have not released any additional information about the man.
An attorney for Patterson did not return a request for comment before publication of this article. An attorney for Johnson was not yet listed in online court records.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis barbershop shooting: 2 men arrested in deadly shootout
