Investigators link teen to second attempted murder charge using Snapchat messages

JOHNSON COUNTY — A teenager facing charges of attempted murder in Johnson County is now facing charges linked to a separate shooting in Bloomington.

Nicholas Saunders, 19, is facing charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery and battery by means of a deadly weapon in Morgan County.

In August, Saunders was charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery in Johnson County for a separate shooting incident.

According to court documents in Monroe County, investigators from Johnson County were able to link Saunders to the shooting in Bloomington through Snapchat messages.

During their follow-up investigation into the shooting in August in Morgantown, Johnson County investigators found the following Snapchat messages between Saunders and a Snapchat friend.

Acquaintance: “[You] wouldn’t make it in jail because [you’re] a [expletive.]”

Saunders: “I just shot a [expletive] in his chest the other day in Bloomington. You can see the report online.”

When investigators saw these, they contact the Bloomington Police Department.

Bloomington PD investigators were able to link the messages back to a shooting they had been tracking since July 11.

In this incident, a 42-year-old man was walking on Walnut Street in Bloomington at night when someone in a nearby car shot him.

According to court documents, the man who was shot told police that a man in a silver Ford Taurus called him a “crackhead”. When he approached the car, the man pulled out a silver handgun and shot him in the chest.

Investigators linked the shooting to Saunders through the silver vehicle and the silver handgun.

Saunders is scheduled for jury trial in December for the shooting in Morgantown.