FISHERS, IN — Two separate gun incidents in Fishers over the weekend have left the community shaken, with one resulting in a deadly shooting at a popular local tavern early Monday morning.
The first incident occurred Saturday night at Hamilton Southeastern High School following a basketball game between Hamilton Southeastern High School and Pike High School.
Some fans got into a fight, and one of them was armed, according to Fishers Police.
An off-duty Hamilton County Sheriff's deputy located the teen off campus and made an arrest. Both schools confirmed that the teen arrested is not a Pike or HSE student.
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The second incident happened at Britton Tavern in Fishers around 2:45 a.m. Monday morning. Fishers Police responded to reports of a person shot and tried unsuccessfully to save the victim's life.
A 31-year-old from Indianapolis was arrested and charged with the alleged murder of Justin Burton, who had just celebrated his 30th birthday.
A close friend of Justin describes him as "a great friend with a warming smile that greeted the room as soon as he walked in."
People who witnessed the shooting say they are still coming to terms with what they saw.
In an incident on Monday, a student at Fishers High School was charged with possession of a firearm on school property after a gun was found in his vehicle.
"Sadly, we're in a position now where, you know, violence doesn't have an address," said Donald Lines, who runs Elite Protection Services, a security business that provides security in bars around Hamilton County.
EPS does not provide service to Britton Tavern.
"It has to be addressed from the start of the place with the owners. It has to be a 'Here's our rules. Here's what we're going to enforce. And this is what it takes to come into our establishment,'" Lines said.
Lines emphasized the importance of vigilant security measures.
"Your (security) guys have to be able to recognize that you have to be able to see what's going on," he said.
Staying alert remains the best way to stay safe.
"It sounds cliché, but to see something, say something, rule works in any type of security," Lines said.
Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Fishers PD Detective Derek Root at 317-595-3326.
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Griffin Gonzalez is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in January of 2024. Griffin loves to tell stories about people overcoming their biggest obstacles and share the good news that his community has to offer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Griffin by emailing him at griffin.gonzalez@wrtv.com.
