The suspect in a Sunday morning shooting at the Family Kitchen restaurant is still at large, although Muncie police say they are close to making an arrest.
Muncie Police Investigator Steve Cox said that police "definitely have a suspect" in the shooting, although he was unable to provide information about the individual he believes committed the crime.
Cox also said claims that the shooting was racially motivated are unsubstantiated at the current time, although "one or two" out of several witnesses said they thought racial slurs volleyed between groups of black and white customers provoked the gunshots.
A manager at the Family Kitchen, who declined to be identified, told the Daily News that a group of white customers used racial epithets in reference to a group of black customers several times during the course of the verbal altercation -- provoking one of the black men to respond, "I'm not going out like that," and eventually fire his gun.
Cox said he thought a verbal altercation provoked the shooting, but he has yet to determine the nature of the argument.
The manager also told the Daily News that some of the individuals present were intoxicated at the time of the altercation, a claim that Cox corroborated.
According to police reports, Muncie and University police responded to a fight in progress call at approximately 4:08 a.m. Sunday at the Family Kitchen, 1617 N. Wheeling. After arriving on the scene, police noticed that both of the front doors of the establishment had been shattered and shell casings were lying on the ground.
Police chased a man matching a description of one of the suspects fleeing the restaurant and apprehended the individual after they found him hiding in a dump truck. The suspect, however, was not arrested.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
