By Steve Huff
July 26, 2006
GASTON, Ind. (Crime Library ) — Travelers along Interstates 69 and 65 near Seymour and Muncie, Indiana (IN), were mystified and fearful on Sunday and Monday this week as news broke of random sniper attacks that left one Indiana resident dead and another person injured. The suspense and fear turned to shock for residents of one Indiana town on Tuesday as police announced they'd made an arrest.
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| Zachariah Blanton |
In custody was 6'4", 300-lb Gaston, IN resident Zachariah Blanton, a football player at Wes-Del High. Even though WISH-TV in Indianapolis reported that Blanton's principal called him a 'typical kid,' the same article on the station's website also indicated that Blanton was facing prosecution for sex and theft-related crimes as well.
The quiet hours were broken early Sunday morning as bullets cracked into at least 4 vehicles. The shootings occurred near Seymour, and later Muncie, IN. Jerry L. Ross, a 40-year-old resident of New Albany, IN was killed. Just as Indiana authorities began their investigation of Ross's murder, they were called to another shooting. Injured this time was Iowa resident Robert John Otto Hartl, age 25. Hartl is recovering in a Muncie-area hospital.
Zachariah Blanton, high school shotputter and offensive lineman, wasn't necessarily an introverted loner.
Blanton had a personal profile on MySpace.com:
http://www.myspace.com/73186198.
Zach had 82 friends, which was a decent percentage of the population of his school.
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