By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

Russell Keigan Harty

WARSAW — A Warsaw teen has entered a guilty plea for his involvement in an October 2019 shooting that injured two people.

Russell Keigan Harty, 19, Warsaw, pled guilty to armed robbery, a level 3 felony. If the court accepts the plea, the remaining three counts Harty faces will be dismissed.

On Oct. 8, 2019, a Warsaw Police officer went to a residence regarding a report of shots fired in the back part of Harrison Ridge, a housing addition off of Husky Trail. While heading to the scene, the officer learned that Naquan Rasheed Williams, 18, Warsaw, was being taken to Parkview Hospital with a gunshot wound.

Upon arrival at the scene, the officer saw a juvenile and searched him. While searching the juvenile, the officer found a large plastic bag of marijuana. The juvenile told the officer that Alexander Clowser, 19, Fort Wayne, had been shot and that he was worried that Holly Adams, 19, Fort Wayne, was hurt as well.

According to court documents, the officer then found Clowser, who said he had been shot in the right triceps by Harty. The officer saw a small red mark where it appeared a bullet had glanced the inside of Clowser’s triceps.

Clowser said he was at the scene with the juvenile, Adams and Owen Gerig, 19, Leo, to meet with Harty in order to sell him marijuana. They arrived and met with both Harty and Williams when Harty pulled out a handgun. Williams and Harty told the four to empty their pockets and give them the marijuana. While attempting to flee the scene, Harty fired three rounds from the handgun. One of the rounds struck Williams in the shoulder and chest, and a second round grazed Clowser in the tricep.

Through interviews, police learned the juvenile, Clowser, Adams and Gerig were all meeting with Harty to sell him two ounces of marijuana when both Harty and Williams attempted to rob them.

Harty will be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 16 in Kosciusko Superior Court One. In Indiana, Level 3 felony charges carry a three to 16-year prison sentence.

Williams has a pretrial conference regarding this case at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 16.

Clowser was sentenced on July 27 for dealing in marijuana. He received a one-year suspended jail sentence. Adams was sentenced on Sept. 28 for dealing in marijuana and also received a one-year suspended jail sentence.

A warrant was issued for Gerig’s arrest on Dec. 19, 2019, for several drug charges, including dealing in marijuana. However, Gerig has yet to be arrested on these charges.