4 arrested in fatal shooting of high school football player at Indiana festival
NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WISH) — The New Albany Police Department announced arrests Tuesday in the case of a high school football player who was shot and killed.
New Albany police say 18-year-old Bryce Gerlach was caught in the crossfire when people started shooting in a parking area outside the city’s Harvest Homecoming festival in October. Gerlach was a student and a football player at Corydon Central High School in Harrison County. The shooting also wounded a 22-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman.
Four people from Kentucky were arrested on preliminary charges.
Three Louisville men — Joshua M. Smith, 20; Shermichael J. Smith, 23; of Louisville: Darius D. Tuff, 24, of Louisville — were each charged with a count of murder; two counts of attempted murder; a count of armed robbery; and two counts of aggravated battery. Isaiah A. Page, 18, of Simpsonville, Kentucky, was charged with a count of attempted murder; a count of attempted battery; two counts of criminal recklessness; and a count of firearm used in commission of offense. Simpsonville is a city about a 40-minute drive east of Louisville.
Police say the men all fired weapons at the festival. One sold his gun after the festival.
Police say multiple shots were fired over 30 seconds.
New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey called the crimes an “evil, reckless and heinous shooting.” He said the victims were “complete innocent bystanders.”
Bailey says that the police executed multiple search warrants and interviews that led to the suspects and the case remains under active investigation. He says he anticipates more charges will be filed as the investigation continues.
News 8’s Gregg Montgomery contributed to this story.
Previous coverage
- Corydon Central student killed, 2 others injured in shooting at community festival
- Fatal shooting outside festival ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘tragic,’ New Albany mayor says
