MUNCIE, IN — A Muncie man has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting on the city’s south side.
Michael Leroy Jones, 24, was being held in the Delaware County Jail on Tuesday, Sept. 9, under a $15,000 bond, on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and criminal recklessness. He was booked into the jail on Monday evening.
An affidavit indicates the preliminary charges against Jones stem from the Sept. 5 shooting of Ashuntiz T. Stewart, 27, in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 3200 block of South Walnut Street.
The shooting was reported to dispatchers at 8:36 p.m. Emergency responders found Stewart suffering from a gunshot wound in the head, according to the court document.
Stewart underwent surgery at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, the affidavit said. The Muncie man later transferred to an Indianapolis hospital, where he died.
According to the court document, Jones returned to the shooting scene after police arrived and reported he had been shot in the leg. He was taken by ambulance to the Muncie hospital.
Jones reportedly told officers he “was the shooter and he shot out of self-defense.” A 10mm handgun was found in his vehicle.
Investigators determined at least two apartments in the complex had been struck by bullets.
The Delaware County prosecutor’s office will determine whether formal charges will be filed against Jones.
According to court records, Jones has been convicted of crimes including domestic battery, resisting law enforcement and carrying a handgun without a license.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie man held in shooting death says he fired in self-defense
