Indy Man Charged in Fatal Bar Shooting, Docs Cite Racial Slurs

INDIANAPOLIS — A man faces murder charges after a shooting outside a south-side bar, with prosecutors saying racial slurs were used during the attack.

According to a probable cause affidavit released Tuesday, just after 1:30 a.m. on July 17, people called police to the Mucky Duck Bar on Southport Crossings Way, where they found 36-year-old Jereme Dillingham shot in the parking lot. He later died at the hospital.

People at the bar and security video pointed to 25-year-old Kaeden Douglas as the person who shot Dillingham. Prosecutors say police found Douglas at a home on Naomi Street and arrested him the same day. They recovered a .40 caliber handgun and clothes that matched what was seen in the video.

Video shows Douglas inside the bar earlier that night with a woman. He got into a fight and was kicked out. Outside, people say Douglas used racial slurs repeatedly before going back to his car. Shortly after, Dillingham approached Douglas’ vehicle. After a brief exchange, the car sped off and Dillingham collapsed.

Douglas told police he had three shots—Crown Apple, Crown Peach, and Crown Blackberry—at the bar, and later during questioning said he might have had 5-6 drinks, including a beer and some free shots. He described himself as a lightweight but also said he “can drink like a hog.” He suggested he might have been overserved, had heavy pours, mixed light and dark drinks, or that his drink was possibly spiked, which he believes caused his memory loss after being kicked out.

The bar tab showed four Crown Royal shots, four Patron shots, and a beer. The bar staff said the beer was for another man, the tequila (Patron) was for the woman with Douglas, and the whiskey (Crown Royal) was for Douglas. Douglas reportedly only drank three Crown shots, leaving one untouched because he was kicked out.

A security staff member described Douglas as “aggressive, obviously drunk.”

A military veteran who witnessed the scene told police he heard the sound of a gun being chambered just before a shot. Others said Douglas kept using racial slurs during the confrontation.

Douglas, described by people as a white man with red hair, told police he didn’t remember much but admitted to drinking and carrying a loaded gun in his car. He first said he wasn’t afraid but later claimed self-defense.

The victim, Dillingham, was black.

Prosecutors charged Douglas with murder five days after the shooting. An autopsy confirmed Dillingham’s death was a homicide.