JOHNSON COUNTY — An 18-year-old of Martinsville is facing a charge in connection with a shooting on Christmas Eve in Johnson County that left two people dead and himself injured.
According to Bargersville police and the Johnson County Prosecutor's Office, Devon McHugh and the two teens who were fatally shot, Ethan Bell, 18, and a 17-year-old boy, went to a gas station to buy $400 worth of marijuana. Detectives learned during their investigation the teens planned to rob the person or people who were selling the marijuana.
When the 17-year-old boy attempted the robbery, shots were fired by at least one person from the other group, according to the joint press release. None of the teens were armed.
On Friday, prosecutors charged McHugh with one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, a Level 5 felony, according to the release.
“We don’t see this kind of violence in Bargersville, and want to make sure the incident is investigated to the fullest," Bargersville Police Department Chief Todd Bertram said in the press release. "We currently have some of the questions about what happened answered and can now start bringing charges against certain individuals."
Johnson County Prosecutor Joe Villanueva said while McHugh didn't perform the attempted robbery, he chose to be part of the plan and acted with his friends.
"We will seek to now hold him accountable for that choice” Villanueva said in the release. “Future charges against anyone else involved in the incident will be reviewed as the evidence warrants and that portion of the investigation remains open.”
This is the first arrest in the case, according to the prosecutor's office. Detectives interviewed a person previously named as a person of interest, but that person isn't facing any charges at this time.
