The St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office will not pursue criminal charges in connection with a deadly shooting, last month, at a South Bend gas station.
The incident happened on May 21 at the Logan Quick Mart in the 300 block of South Logan Street. South Bend Police officers arrived and found 56-year-old Jerry Barnette of South Bend inside the store with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Shortly afterward, police were alerted to a juvenile male suffering from a gunshot wound at a home in Mishawaka. Investigators determined the teen had been involved in the Logan Street shooting. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
According to the South Bend Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit, surveillance footage and evidence showed that Barnette and the juvenile were involved in a verbal altercation outside the store. The juvenile entered the store, and Barnette followed. Inside, Barnette allegedly re-engaged the juvenile while armed with a firearm, prompting an exchange of gunfire.
After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors concluded they could not disprove a claim of self-defense and declined to file charges against the juvenile.
