Police Say Westport Man Tried to Kill Former Roommate

Brewer faces charges including attempted murder, intimidation, theft of a firearm and battery.

Mugshot of a man with short dark hair wearing a black shirt and looking directly at the camera. — Source: FOX 59 / FOX 59

WESTPORT, Ind — A Westport man is accused of trying to kill a former roommate on the Fourth of July, but investigators say the gun malfunctioned and the man he was targeting was able to fight back.

Court records say Jacob Brewer, 27, showed up at the former roommate’s home early July 4 and started knocking on windows and doors. The man was not home at first, but later returned and waited in his car because he felt something was wrong.

Investigators say Brewer eventually confronted him, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at his head. Court documents say Brewer pulled the trigger, but the gun only made a clicking sound.

The man knocked the gun away, and the two got into a fight. Police say Brewer later left the home and was found sleeping in the trunk of his minivan in Jennings County.

Brewer faces charges including attempted murder, intimidation, theft of a firearm and battery. Investigators say the gun used in the incident had been reported stolen.