Fatal Fort Wayne, Indiana shooting death of Travis Gilbert – Obituary
In the early hours of Friday morning, a deadly altercation erupted in Fort Wayne, Indiana, stemming from a dispute over counterfeit narcotics. The tragic incident resulted in the loss of one life, as Travis Gilbert, 28, met his untimely demise. Additionally, another individual sustained injuries, prompting a police investigation that led to several arrests.
Authorities received an emergency call at approximately 1:20 a.m. on Friday, reporting a shooting incident on St. Marys Avenue, just south of State Boulevard.
Upon arrival, they discovered a man with non-life-threatening injuries, who was swiftly transported to a local hospital. Unfortunately, Travis Gilbert did not survive and was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to court documents, a witness provided a harrowing account of the events that transpired that night. The witness reported being in the living room with Gilbert and the second victim when the confrontation unfolded. Allegedly, the disturbance began when Royal Davis demanded $500 and proceeded to strike Gilbert in the head with a firearm.
In the chaos that ensued, the firearm slid across the floor, leading the second victim to seize it and engage in a firefight with an individual donning a ski mask, later identified as 29-year-old Jessica Fuentes. Throughout the exchange of gunfire, Davis and Fuentes fled the scene, injuring the second victim in the process.
Tragically, Gilbert pursued the assailants outside, where he was shot in the chest. Both the witness and the second victim claimed to have had no prior knowledge of the suspects involved in the incident.
Further investigation uncovered Gilbert’s recent messages, revealing an exchange between him and 28-year-old Robert Ward. Over the course of approximately two hours that evening, Ward sent Gilbert 28 messages and made nine phone calls. Police inferred from the messages that Ward was attempting to arrange a drug transaction with Gilbert.
Detectives subsequently interviewed Ward, who disclosed that Davis and Fuentes had become irate upon discovering that the drugs they had acquired from Gilbert were counterfeit, prompting their demand for reimbursement.
In the aftermath of these revelations, Davis and Fuentes were taken into custody around 1:20 a.m. on Friday following a high-speed pursuit. Meanwhile, Ward was apprehended in the early hours of Saturday morning. The charges levied against them include murder, felony murder, attempted murder, and robbery resulting in death.