INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A jury has convicted an Indianapolis man for a 2022 murder at a smoke shop north of downtown.

The Marion County prosecutor says Jalen Frierson on Thursday was found guilty of two counts of murder and a count of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury after a three-day trial. A charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felony was dismissed, online court records show.

Prosecutors say Frierson and another suspect killed Eric Preer, 31, in April 2022.

They say Frierson and Hakeem Jackson about 7:40 p.m. April 23, 2022, entered a smoke shop in the 1900 block of North College Avenue where Preer was working. They say Frierson fired multiple shots at Preer. After the shooting, the two fled the shop in a vehicle.

A covert robbery detective with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department found the suspects’ vehicle at an apartment complex nearby. A release from the prosecutor’s office said, “A short time later, the vehicle drove toward the interstate where a brief pursuit with law enforcement ensued. When the vehicle came to a stop, Jackson was taken into custody. The murder weapon, a 9mm handgun, was located inside the vehicle.”

Jackson, of Indianapolis, had pleaded guilty to a count of attempted robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, and a county of unlawful possession of a serious violent felony, the release says. Online court records show the plea deal was accepted Tuesday.

Frierson and Jackson are set to be sentenced at 1 p.m. March 4 in Marion Superior Court 27. Neither man was listed as an inmate Friday night at the Marion County jail.

A jail booking photo of Jackson was not immediately available after hours Friday night.

This story was created in part from a script aired on WISH-TV.

Statement

“Eric Preer was a son, a father, an uncle, and a friend, who was simply working to provide for himself and his family when he was senselessly killed. I commend the deputy prosecutors, investigators, and witnesses for their contributions that led to justice for Preer and his family, who has endured such tragedy.”

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears