Mike Wolanin | The Republic Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies are investigating a shooting at this home in the 300 block of Elm Street in Hope where a 36-year-old man and his 3-year-old son were shot allegedly by a relative during a family dispute.
A suspect in a double shooting in Hope shot himself near Whiteland following a pursuit by Franklin police on Friday morning.
Robbie L. Perez, 35, Columbus, was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chin following a slow-speed police pursuit in Johnson County, said Franklin Police Capt. Scott Carter.
Perez was taken to Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis following the shooting, and his condition was not immediately available, according to hospital officials.
Perez is facing preliminary charges of two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the Bartholomew County Sheriff Department.
Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies had been searching for Perez, and sent out a notice that he was armed, following a shooting in Hope Thursday night, said Sgt. Dane Duke, sheriff department spokesman.
At 11:25 p.m. Thursday, sheriff deputies were sent to the 300 block of Elm Street in Hope where they found two people shot, a 36-year-old male, later identified as George Perez Jr., who is Robbie Perez’ brother, and George Perez Jr.’s 3-year-old son.
Duke said investigators believe the shooting was the result of a family dispute and a long-term feud between the brothers.
Both victims were transported by Lifeline helicopter to Indianapolis Thursday night, and George Perez Jr. was released from an Indianapolis hospital on Friday morning, Duke said. The 3-year-old remains in critical condition in an Indianapolis hospital with what deputies said are very serious injuries.
Bartholomew County deputies had been searching for Robbie Perez in a silver Chevrolet HHR, and were notified at 10:49 a.m. Friday that the vehicle was traveling westbound on East King Street near I-65 in Johnson County, Duke said.
Franklin police located the suspect’s vehicle in downtown Franklin sometime between 10:35 to 10:45 a.m. Friday. Officers followed the suspect for a period of time until they had enough vehicles to assist with performing a traffic stop, Carter said.
When the traffic stop was initiated, the vehicle did not stop and led officers on a slow-speed pursuit of between 40 to 50 mph as the vehicle went north on Hurricane Road out of Franklin. Law enforcement deployed stop sticks on the vehicle just north of the intersection of Hurricane Road and Earlywood Drive/East County Road 300 North, he said.
The vehicle eventually came to a stop near Hurricane Road and Whiteland Road, where the suspect — believed to be Perez — pulled out a black handgun and shot himself in the jaw, according to Franklin officers. They immediately rendered first aid to the suspect, and he was taken to the hospital, Carter said. Crime scene technicians also recovered a firearm from inside the vehicle.
No officers were injured during the pursuit, he said.
Assisting the Bartholomew County Sheriff Department in the Hope shooting investigation were the Hope Police Department, Indiana State Police, Columbus Police Department, Franklin Police Department, Shelbyville Police Department, Columbus Regional Hospital EMS, Hope Volunteer Fire Department and Rush County Sheriff’s Office.
The Franklin Daily Journal staff contributed to this story.
