A 30-year-old man is shot and killed and police say his younger brother is a person of interest.
Brownsburg police say someone shot Christopher Brabson in his apartment in the 7000 block of Meadow Trail around 6:30 pm Thursday night.
Neighbors reported seeing a man running to a maroon Toyota Camry outside Brabson’s apartment, then speeding off east on Meadow Trail.
Investigators found that car abandoned on I-74 near Crawfordsville Friday morning. According to investigators, the car is registered to 28-year-old Justin Brabson, a man police call a person of interest in this case.
The brothers lived in the Brownsburg apartment and investigators believe Justin Brabson knows what happened inside that apartment Thursday night.
“Give you the shirt off his back,” said Shawn Moore, describing his neighbor and friend, Christopher Brabson. Moore was headed to work Thursday night when neighbors called to tell him someone had heard gun shots in Brabson’s apartment and police were on scene.
“I got home as quickly as I could and he was already dead,” said Moore.
The person who called police about the shots said they saw a male getting into a vehicle, according to Brownsburg police Sgt. April Hyde.
“They were not able to say who the male was that got into the vehicle and left at a high rate of speed,” Hyde said.
Investigators sought a warrant to search the Camry Friday.
“It makes Justin Brabson be a person of interest,” said Hyde.
“The person that got into the vehicle and sped away from the scene, was not identified by the witnesses, however the vehicle does belong to Justin Brabson. It is his residence and at this point, we cannot find him,” Hyde added.
Neighbor Shawn Moore said Justin traveled a lot for work. “He came home the beginning of this week. I hadn’t really seen him,” said Moore.
Police say the Brabson brothers' parents told them they couldn’t see their younger son hurting his brother.
“They believe it would be out of character. So we’re not sure how much conflict there had been between them. Typical brothers do have conflict,” said Hyde.
That’s something Moore seemed to allude to, never imagining, whatever may have been between these brothers could lead to the death of one of them.
“It was regular brother stuff that I was under the impression. So I’ve got brothers too, but I never imagine it would go like that,” said Moore.
Christopher Brabson’s parents released a statement Friday. “We would like to thank everyone who has come to our aid during this tragic time. Our faith and trust in God will carry us through this difficulty. Christopher was a very skilled young man, loving father and had a contagious laugh. We will deeply miss him.”
An autopsy on Christopher Brabson was performed Friday afternoon. The results were not immediately available.
5 Brownsburg police detectives are working on the case, searching for Justin Brabson in the Brownsburg area, as well as Crawfordsville where his car was found. If you spot him, Brownsburg Police would like you to call them. The phone number to use is 317-852-1109. Extension 2123
Earlier story:
Brownsburg Police are looking for the brother of a man found shot dead in an apartment on Maple Lane Thursday night.
Investigators brought out the department’s mobile command center for what was turning into a long night of investigating after finally getting a warrant to go into the apartment around 11:30 p.m.
Friday, they identified the shooting victim as 30-year-old Christopher Brabson. Officers are searching for Brabson's brother, Justin, who they believe may have information about the shooting, calling him a "person of interest" in the investigation.
The brothers shared the apartment where the shooting occurred.
According to police, neighbors reported hearing three to five gunshots around 6:30 p.m. Thursday. When they went outside, they saw a maroon Toyota Camry leaving the scene at a high rate of speed.
Officers say the description of the car matches the victim's brother's vehicle, but no one could positively identify Justin as the driver.
Police found the vehicle on I-74 near Crawfordsville Friday afternoon, but Justin Brabson has not been seen since the shooting and investigators can't find him. Police say he has not shown up for work Friday.
"We don't know how much information he has. We don't know if he's in harm's way. We are not sure if he was fleeing from something or if he was involved in anyway," said Brownsburg Police Sgt. April Hyde.
Police say when they found the vehicle it was not running and there was no one in the car. State police, along with officers from Montgomery County and Brownsburg, searched the area, but found no one.
Neighbor Heather Heckart said she was outside when she heard something strange, but didn’t know she was hearing gun shots.
"I was in my backyard and I heard four really loud sounds," Heckart recalled. "I wasn’t sure at the time what they were and now I know, they were gun shots, actually."
Neighbors called police, who went into the apartment where neighbors first reported hearing shots. That’s where they found a man dead.
"That’s really scary," said Heckart. "I've lived here 26 years, my whole life and we’ve seen accidents, things of that sort, but nothing of this magnitude ever."
Neighbors say Christopher Brabson has a small son. He worked nearby as a machinist, where the company president praised him as a skilled, dependable worker. There was no sign of anything wrong when he left work last night for a dinner break.
Investigators continue to treat the shooting like a homicide investigation.