Teen charged with felonies in connection with Laurel Woods Apartments shooting

Tommy Gatheright

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- Court documents from St. Joseph County reveal on Wednesday, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office charged 18-year-old Tommy Gatheright with four counts related to the Aug. 17 shooting at Laurel Woods.

Gatheright is charged with Aiding Aggravated Battery, a Level 3 Felony, Aiding Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, a Level 5 Felony, Aiding Battery with a Deadly Weapon, a Level 5 Felony, and Criminal Recklessness, a Level 5 Felony.

The State will also seek a sentencing enhancement based on the use of a firearm during the alleged offenses.

The sentencing range for Count I is between 3 and 16 years, the sentencing range for Counts II-IV is between 1 and 6 years. The enhancement carries an additional penalty between 5 and 20 years, if imposed.

Gatheright is currently incarcerated on an unrelated matter.

The South Bend Police Department Violent Crimes Unit reports on Aug. 17, around 10:14 p.m. two unknown individuals walked to the side of 5024 Birchwood Lane and fired 37 rounds towards 804 Lindenwood Avenue from two separate guns including a 9mm and .40 caliber.

Duriung the shooting, an 8-year-old girl and a woman were struck by gunfire along with several homes and cars.

The woman was grazed by a bullet while the girl was struck in the head and remains in the hospital as of Sept. 24. Police say there's still projectile fragments in the girl's skull.

A witness told police Gatheright had knocked on their door the night of the shooting.

The witness provided a social media account with a photograph and identified Gatheright in the photo. The witness later came to the SBPD and selected Gatheright from a photo array.

Gatheright was arrested on an unrelated warrant on Aug. 28. Based on information from the investigation a search warrant was written and executed on Gatheright’s residence.

Gatheright's sister confirmed she had picked him up from Laurel Woods Apartments on Aug. 17 around 10:55 p.m. She then provided text messages showing a conversation between herself and Gatheright, confirming he was picked up after the shooting.

Police say while in jail for an unrelated matter, Gatheright began making phone calls advising his friend to pick up his stuff. In one call, the friend specifically noted "selling a gun."

Gatheright also told the friend, "my stuff has to go," with the friend responding, "it's buried." A search warrant was then executed at the friend's residence and vehicle in Elkhart.

The friend was pulled over by Elkhart Police Department and held until SBPD arrived.

Police then spoke to the friend who confirmed he had picked up a gun for Gatheright from his girlfriend’s residence and admitted he buried the gun.

The friend then took police to his residence and showed them where he buried the gun. Police located a black 9mm Beretta.

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