A teenage girl in Indiana had a habit of shooting her gun in the air. So when a witness heard a shot, she wasn’t concerned that anyone was injured.
But someone was hurt, another girl, who suffered a gunshot wound to the front of her head. That girl was left in life-threatening condition, and now her friend who had a penchant for firing her handgun is accused of shooting her and is facing prison time.
Tuesday, 16-year-old Elaysha Underwood was charged as an adult in Allen Superior Court with felony counts of attempted murder and using a firearm in the commission of a crime.
She’s accused of shooting the other girl over what may have been a relationship gone bad.
Underwood has been in custody since shortly after the shooting earlier this month. She will now likely be transferred from the Allen County Juvenile Center to the Allen County Jail.
The events leading up to the shooting began on July 5.
Underwood went to her friend’s home at 512 Piccadilly Circle to see her after messaging the girl on Instagram starting at 11 p.m. that night, according to a probable cause affidavit written by Fort Wayne Police homicide detective Ben Miller.
By 11 a.m. the following morning, Underwood’s friend was lying in her backyard, fighting for her life, court documents said.
The messaging between the two girls appeared to be over their relationship, which was romantic and sexual in nature. Underwood told the victim she was going to come over to the victim’s home to spend the night. Then Underwood told the victim she was there and wanted to be let inside.
“Why u had too leave me outside dough,” she said in a text. Then “Lay,” as Underwood was known, went to the back door and got mad that the victim wasn’t letting her come inside.
Two of the last messages Underwood sent to the girl were “you still not gone tmb (take me back) dude” and “on my mom I’m cool off u.”
A witness inside the home with the victim told detectives she knew Underwood had been messaging the girl. This witness also said the victim eventually told her she was going outside to see Underwood. At some point, the witness heard the victim say “stop” while outside with Underwood, according to court documents.
That’s when the witness heard a gunshot but thought it might have just been Underwood shooting her gun in the air as she had done in the past, court documents said.
It’s not clear when police were called, but they arrived at the house just before 11 a.m. on July 6 to find the victim suffering from a gunshot in the front yard.
Another witness told homicide detective Ben MacDonald that she knew the victim had a friend name “Lay” who lived in the new houses behind the Shell gas station at Tillman Road and Anthony Boulevard. She also said “Lay” carried a handgun in the past.
In late May, detectives had encountered the victim parked in front of Underwood’s home who said she was “just hanging out with friends there.” Detectives had the home under surveillance at that time and witnessed Underwood come out of the house, take a bag from a vehicle and get into a red Chevrolet Trailblazer.
Detectives believed that the evidence showed the victim’s last contact with Underwood, court documents said.
Detectives went to Underwood’s home after the shooting and conducted a traffic stop on the Trailblazer as it left the area. Underwood was the front seat passenger, court documents said. After a warrant was obtained and the Trailblazer was searched, detectives found a standard Ruger magazine containing five .22 rounds and an additional round chambered in the barrel.
A witness previously described Underwood’s gun as smaller and silver or black in color.
Underwood and the Trailblazer’s driver were taken to the detective bureau where they were read the Juvenile Advice of Rights. Underwood agreed to speak with detectives and told them her relationship with the victim was sexual.
Underwood said another witness drove her to the victim’s home. She and the victim had been messaging each other and the victim “wanted her to come over,” according to court documents. Underwood said she went to the front door and waited for several minutes to be let inside, then left.
Underwood said she never went to the back door.
But a witness who said she drove Underwood to the home the night before told detectives a different story. This witness said Underwood went to the front door and when she didn’t get a response, she went around to the back of the house and returned to the vehicle about five minutes later.
The witness said Underwood had posted firearms on her social media posts.
Underwood was arrested shortly after the interview.
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