Shooter shot when ordered to hand over everything and 'strip,' court docs say

FORT WAYNE, Ind. --The shooter's sister thought they were going to buy shoes when they met up for the deadly encounter.

But when Damontre Burnett pulled out a gun in a church parking lot on West Rudisill Boulevard after Kaedan Mowery handed over the money, Mowery shot and killed Burnett, according to a probable cause submitted by homicide detective Ben MacDonald.

Kaeden Mowery

Mowery, 17, waived to adult court Tuesday, is charged with Burnett’s murder, something that happened just days ago on June 23 around 2:30 in the afternoon.

Mowery and his sister picked up a luckless friend called "witness" in the probable cause, who knew Kaedan from Wayne High School, before the three pulled up for Burnett aka "Money" that day, court documents said. 

Burnett, 24, had called his friend to say “he had a ride going to pick him up.” The “ride” was Kaedan aka “Reaper,” driving a black 2008 Ford Focus that detectives quickly identified in surveillance video.

“At one point, you see the witness (friend) get out of the vehicle and start running away and then the victim fall out of the rear driver’s side door to the ground,” MacDonald wrote. 

As the car takes off, detectives see an arm extend out the same side of the car while “this subject” (Kaedan) appears to fire more shots at the victim.

What happened inside the car was described by the friend/witness and Mowery’s sister.

The witness said he returned to the car after using the church restroom and saw Damontre pull out his gun and Mowery “clutch his waistband” as if he had a gun. The witness said he never saw a gun because he ran away and then “heard several gunshots,” court documents said.

Mowery’s sister said she was inside the car when the shooting occurred. 

After her brother gave Burnett the money, Burnett “pulled a gun out and demanded all their property and that he was going to run their pockets and make them strip," she said. “Kaedan then shot Damontre and they drove off."

The sister also said her brother hid two guns at an Ossian address, one in a ceiling vent and the other in a dryer.

Detectives tracked Mowery’s girlfriend to Ossian where they found the Ford Focus. She told a similar version although it’s unclear whether she was a witness.

“When the witness got out of the car, Damontre took cash out of Kaedan’s hand and then stepped out of the vehicle and pulled out a handgun," the girlfriend said. 

“Damontre told them to give him everything (they) had and strip down and that is when Kaedan shot Damontre and they drove away,” she said.

Mowery is incarcerated and has retained local attorney, Emily Kutsenok. He turned 17 on May 31.