Two teens formally charged as adults in connection to Swinney Ave. shooting

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - Two 17-year-olds arrested in connection to a shooting on Swinney Avenue last Thursday have been officially charged as adults.

The shooting left one man injured and one minor with critical injuries.

Two 17-year-old teens, Antron Pearson and Jeremiah Johnson, were arrested on Nov. 6 in connection with the Nov. 2 shooting.

According to court documents, the second victim told police he sells THC vape cartridges and marijuana.

Victim Two said he “fronted” a young guy a while back for cartridges, and the guy ghosted him for some time. He also said he was never paid for the cartridges.

Victim Two says the teen had texted him via Instagram the evening of the shooting, asking for more weed and that he was going to pay the victim back.

The second victim told police that he got a ride with the first victim and pulled into an alleyway near Broadway, and Pearson and Johnson came up to the passenger side of the window, where he was sitting.

Court documents say one of the teens flashed some money in a wallet to victim two. That is when the victim said he realized the money was fake and believed he and the other victim were going to be robbed by Johnson and Pearson.

The second victim told police he told the other victim to leave, but the teens pulled out guns, one of them pointed at victim two’s head, while the other teen was standing in front of the car with his gun pointed at them.

Victim Two said he threw out the bag of marijuana and twisted in his seat, fearing he would be shot in the face. That is when Victim Two said he heard gunshots as Victim One was driving off and thought he was going to die because of the amount of blood he had lost.

Victim One said to police that he called 911 on the way to the hospital and told dispatch that he and his brother had been shot. When both victims arrived at the hospital, court documents say medical staff thought the second victim was going to die due to the severity of his injuries.

Police said they spoke with Victim Two right before he went into surgery, and he told them that he did not know the teens’ names but guessed at least one of them went to Smith Academy.

Police found that both Johnson and Pearson were twelfth graders at Smith Academy.

The officer said Victim One gave a basic statement at first, saying that he and his brother were driving when they turned a corner, and two men in dark hoodies started shooting at them. Police came back to Victim One, hoping he would give more information after Victim Two told them what happened.

Victim One said to detectives that one teen shot through the front window of the car, and there were at least 18 rounds fired.

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