WARSAW — Very few details have been released about Monday night's fatal shooting of a 15–year–old, allegedly by another 15-year-old, in the Suburban Acres Mobile Home Park in Warsaw.

Names of the two have not been released, likely because of their ages, and exactly what happened at 8 p.m. Monday remains unknown, other than a statement from Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office saying they believe it involved a stolen gun.

A 15-year-old was taken into custody on a preliminary charge of reckless homicide

Warsaw Community Schools issued a statement saying they were deeply saddened by the loss of life of the youth who was a student at the high school.

“This is a difficult time for our school community, and our thoughts are with the student’s family and friends,” the statement said.

Counseling staff were on site on Tuesday, with support from Bowen Health, the statement said.

[caption id="attachment_128744" align="alignright" width="320"] The office door at Suburban Acres Mobile Home Park was locked on Tuesday, and one resident said management is never on site. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Several residents of the neighborhood spoke with News Now Warsaw.

A small group of residents gathered near the street in the far northeast corner of the mobile home park next to where the shooting happened, and said they knew the two kids involved, but declined to talk.

An interior restoration company was seen working inside the home on Tuesday afternoon.

Two other neighbors offered their thoughts, and one blamed the park's management.

“They’ve been through nine or ten managers, but they’re never out here. They say they can run it from their house. Under state law, they’re supposed to have a manager out here,” he said.

That lack of presence by management has contributed to youths doing what they want without repercussions, he said.

“People don’t watch their kids. They just let them do what they want because there are no consequences,” he said.

Overall, Suburban Acres looks somewhat stressed. A few of the homes have condemnation signs in the windows and the office building has a large exterior lock on it and it does not look as if it's been used recently.

News Now Warsaw reached out to the company, Jones Estates, at the company's office in Peru, but a manager did not return a call on Tuesday afternoon.

Another resident, whose family moved in just two weeks ago, expressed sympathy for those involved.

He said social media scuttlebutt has suggested the two boys were playing with the gun when it discharged.

He said he's not worried about the environment, but adds that he and his wife had a long talk with their four kids after the shooting.

“I grew up in a trailer park. We know things happen in a trailer court. We moved here knowing there could be incidents,” he said.

He was wearing a shirt with the words, "Not Today, Satan," and said he hopes the victim had embraced God beforehand.

“I just hope police do their due diligence … I hope that if the parents were in charge of allowing them to have the weapon, I hope they’re charged," he said.

"I just hope there is due process,” he said.

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WARSAW — Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating a fatal shooting Monday night at Suburban Acres Mobile Home Park north of Warsaw.

Deputies responded to a report of a shooting at the Mobile Home Park at around 8 p.m. and found a 15-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound who was then pronounced dead at the scene, according to a news release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office .

Another 15-year-old juvenile was detained on a preliminary charge of reckless homicide after police interviewed several juveniles who were at the residence at the time of the incident.

During the investigation, authorities recovered a handgun at the scene that was determined to have been reported stolen.

This case remains under active investigation.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Warsaw Police Department and the Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office.

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WARSAW — As Hoosiers prepare for holiday celebrations, the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to keep roads safe and prevent traffic fatalities as part of the annual Safe Family Travel campaign, supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Running from Nov. 26 through the end of December, the campaign focuses on impaired driving, aggressive driving, and seat belt violations. During this time, officers will work overtime conducting sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols to deter unsafe driving and encourage seat belt use.

“We see the consequences of unsafe driving every day,” said Douglas Huntsinger,
executive director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. “By buckling up, slowing
down, and never driving impaired, we can all help make Indiana’s roads safer this
season.”

According to NHTSA, alcohol-impaired driving remains one of the leading causes of
fatal crashes, especially during the holiday season. Likewise, failure to wear a seat belt
continues to be one of the most preventable causes of death on the road.

“Driving safely is a shared responsibility,” said Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith. “If you plan to drink, plan a safe ride home. Stay sober behind the wheel or arrange a sober ride before the night begins.”

Motorists are encouraged to call 911 to report drivers who are unsafe or impaired. For more safety tips, visit nhtsa.gov/risky-driving.

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WARSAW — A year ago, the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office hosted a public meeting that highlighted efforts to support inmates through the Kosciusko Community Recovery Program.

More than 100 people attened the meeing and heard fro various county officils at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw about efforts to support inmates in breaking awag from substance abuse issues and making changes that keep them from re-offendinng.

[caption id="attachment_121576" align="alignright" width="197"] Shanna Wallen[/caption]

Now, as the program begins to settle in, the department plans to provide a new update.

Officials say say the Nov. 10 meeting is an opportunity to recap some of the highlights, educate the community on the goals and look toward some new ideas aimed at supporting inmates toward a life after incarceration.

"We just wannt to kind of update the public and give them a chance to meet some of the participants that have come out of the jail and just share all the good news we had — and  talk about the direction I want to go next year," said Shanna Wallen, resource navigator for the Kosciusko Community Recovery Program, which began nearly two years ago.

Officials are also expected to disccuss the importance of community support for the program.

Statistics will be presented that  underscores some of the success organizers have seen, and they’ll also discuss what went wrong the few inmates who ended up returning to jail.

Wallen said they’ll also talk “about what characteristic and similarities there were in the cases of those who relapsed or reoffended.”

Local service providers will also attend the meeting and offer insights in how they can support inmates and those after being released.

The event on Nov. 10 will start at 6 p.m. at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion.

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WARSAW — The Warsaw Police Department and Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office have announced plans for the 25th session of the Citizens’ Police Academy.

The academy will meet on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., beginning Nov. 12 and concluding Jan. 21.

The academy is open to all residents of Kosciusko County and offers a first-person experience of law enforcement operations. A variety of topics will be covered, ranging from DIVE Team, SWAT, and K9 demonstrations to traffic stops and the Kosciusko County judicial system.

The application deadline is Wednesday, Oct. 22.

Applications are available by clicking here.

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WARSAW — A cement entrance to the Kosciusko County Justice Building collapsed, sending a large amount of debris slamming onto the sidewalk Friday afternoon.

The collapse was reported to the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory around 12:30 p.m.

No injuries were reported.

All courts and offices inside the building were closed, according to a post on the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Office Facebook page..

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WARSAW — A motorcyclist died Friday afternoon after he collided with a car on CR 650N  northwest of Tippecanoe Lake.

The crash happened at 4:43 p.m., according to a news release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office.

Police say a Buick passenger car was westbound on CR 650N just west of EMS T49 Lane and was turning left into a residential driveway when it was struck by an eastbound Kawasaki motorcycle driven by Brenden M. Dilley, 22, Syracuse,

Dilley was ejected from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene by the Kosciusko County Coroner.

The driver of the Buick, Sandra L. Lilly, 75, of Syracuse, was taken to Goshen Hospital for treatment of her injuries.

The accident remains under investigation.

Assisting at the scene were the North Webster Police Department, Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office, Tippecanoe Township Fire & EMS, and Reichert & Knepp Wrecker Service.

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By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Camp Hero, the three-day youth camp organized by the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, just keeps growing.

In 2019, the new program ushered in by then-sheriff Kyle Dukes, attracted about 50-60 participants. Last year, it reached 167 participants.

Organizers have had to limit registration so they can plan ahead with enough shirts and other items for the kids.

This year, they had just under 240 youths.

“That cap was met in about an hour and four minutes,” said Sgt. Justin Smith, a lead organizer for the event.

[caption id="attachment_115333" align="alignright" width="420"] Two Camp Hero participants listen intently to one of the presentations conducted on Wednesday. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The highly structured program provides lots of insights into various aspects of police work and firefighting, but also offers real-life skills. This year, they added anti-bullying self-defense tactics.

More than 30 activities were on the schedule over the course of three days, and groups moved from one station to another with a lunch and ice cream break midway through each day.

Wednesday’s focus was on various aspects of firefighting, and included a display that highlighted how firefighters use specialized tools — including the "jaws of life" — used to extract car crash victims from within their vehicles.

[caption id="attachment_115371" align="alignright" width="420"] Camp Hero also had light moments of frivolity. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Thursday was scheduled to feature presentations on K9s and a SWAT team before everyone gathered for the graduation ceremony.

A new session focused on anti-bullying defense tactics — everything from how to react if somebody's pulling your hair to how to — if it comes down to it — how to defend yourself by punching back with a closed fist or open hand.

Sgt. Doug Light recalls how CPR training came in handy last year. That’s when one of the Camp Hero graduates used it months later when they found themselves on the phone with 911 Dispatch and helped coach his father with CPR skills in an emergency.

“When you talk about the educational piece, I don’t think it gets any better than that,” Light said.

But there's also some upside to inviting kids to work closely with first responders for three days.

“We want these kids to know that we’re safe. We’re always available. They can come to us. We want to build mentorships and build rapport with these kids,” said Smith.

It also works as a recruiting tool for various first responder agencies.

It absolutely is,” Smith said. “It opens their eyes to a lot of different things and what being a first responder has to offer.”

Some of the kids have a desire to go into this career field, which we desperately need in today’s times, as you know,” he said. “Other kids may need it … if we can provide them the opportunity to steer them in the right direction, that’s our other goal in all of this.”

The camp was set to conclude Thursday afternoon with a graduation ceremony.

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="115331,115372,115366,115341,115334,115368,115335,115342"]

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Kosciusko County Dispatch received a call at 10:59 p.m. Saturday, about a missing person near the 11100 block of Northeast Wawasee Drive, according to a news release from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The family of the missing man said they had not seen him for about three hours.

Conservation officers arrived and began searching the shoreline and surrounding areas.

At 2:22 a.m. Sunday, the body of Riley Thoren, 21, was recovered by a conservation officer diver in 3 feet of water.

An exact cause of death is pending autopsy results.

Other assisting agencies included the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office and the Syracuse Police Department.

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