Oats
A judge is considering a request by the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office to jointly try two defendants charged in the May 23 drive-by shooting that injured four people in Columbus’ Lincoln Park.
Bartholomew Superior Court 1 Judge James Worton said Monday he has yet to rule on the state’s motion to try Edmarius Oats and Alexander Parker together. After Parker appeared in court for a procedural hearing, Worton said the state’s motion for a joint trial was still pending.
Oats, 18, of Columbus, is accused of shooting Gavin Hardin, 18; Tyler Hamm, 23; and two juveniles, ages 16 and 17, on May 23 at the park’s basketball court. Oats is charged with attempted murder as a Level 1 felony and four counts of Level 3 felony aggravated battery when the assault posses a substantial risk of death. If convicted on all counts, Oats faces a potential prison sentence of 32 to 114 years, as well as up to $50,000 in fines.
Oats also had been scheduled for a change of plea hearing Monday, but his court date was continued.
Authorities say Oats is accused of opening fire from a passing vehicle driven by Parker, which then fled the park. The pair were arrested the evening of the shooting near Franklin. Parker is charged with aggravated battery when an assault poses a substantial risk of death, a Level 3 felony, and assisting a criminal commit a murder, a Level 5 felony.
When the shooting occurred, numerous softball and kickball games were happening on the nearby ball diamonds. Although some ran from the scene when the guns were being fired, others scrambled to help the victims, using towels to stem the bleeding from the gunshot wounds.
The four victims were initially taken to Columbus Regional Hospital, with three of them later flown by a medical helicopter to Indianapolis hospitals. While detectives were interviewing the victims, Hardin told them he believed the shooter was Oats, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Using leads obtained from witnesses, officers stopped and arrested Parker as he was driving toward Franklin, court documents state. Parker admitted being the driver at Lincoln Park, but refused to tell detectives who was in the vehicle with him, the affidavit states.
Detectives found three spent 9mm shell casings and unspent .22 bullets in Parker’s vehicle, according to court documents.
A witness told police he saw Oats being dropped off at his home, which led to a SWAT team being set up outside the residence. The affidavit says that after negotiators contacted him by cellphone, Oats eventually walked outside and surrendered.
When questioned, Oats denied being involved, the affidavit states. Detectives executed a search warrant of the Oats residence and located an empty box of 9mm ammunition, an unspent .22 round, a black Crossfire holster and a plastic box for a 9mm magazine, investigators wrote.
According to investigators, Oats and Hardin had an ongoing conflict concerning a girl they had both dated. A half-hour before the shootings, Hardin received a message through an acquaintance that Oats was planning to shoot him, court document say. Police believe that same acquaintance had called Oats to inform him Hardin was at the park.
Oats is being held on $5 million bond in the Bartholomew County Jail. According to court records, he was charged with and found guilty of multiple jail rule violations last month. Details of those violations were not immediately available.
