GREENE COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — An 18-year-old Greene County man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after he told police he fired a gun at a retreating vehicle following a brawl on South Washington Street in Jasonville.

According to court documents, the incident occurred on May 16 at approximately 5:22 p.m. when police received numerous 911 calls reporting shots fired in the 100 block of S. Washington St. Callers advised multiple people were seen fighting and gunfire was heard before vehicles left the scene.

While initially telling police he had used the gun in self-defense, upon further questioning, Ayvin Wittgren, 18, admitted to shooting the gun at the car because he was ‘full of emotion’ and believed the fleeing individuals had “got one over on [Ayvin and his friends]. So I popped a couple rounds off at them.”

Wittgren told police the situation began when he learned a friend of his wanted to beat up an acquaintance they believed had battered a woman; an acquaintance Wittgren knew possessed a gun. Wittgren told police he went to Dugger-Union Jr/Sr High School and stole a teal and black Bersa 9mm handgun from the acquaintance’s vehicle parked in the school parking lot. After stealing the weapon, Wittgren told police he wanted to stash it in Jasonville, but the acquaintance knew where he hung out and came to find him.

Wittgren had been at a juvenile friend’s house along with three other friends on S. Washington St. when the acquaintance, along with two other people, showed up to confront Wittgren for the theft.

A fight ensued, during which one of Wittgren’s friends was reportedly hit in the head with a miniature baseball bat, causing him to bleed. When the fight began, the juvenile who lived at the property went inside to wake up his father; while doing so he reported hearing gunshots.

In a follow-up interview, after admitting he lied about shooting the gun in self-defense from the middle of the road, Wittgren said the acquaintance and the other two individuals had gotten into their vehicle to leave. That was when Wittgren noticed that one of his friends was bleeding from the head and he told police he “lost my [expletive], I lost all my [expletive].” Wittgren told police he had initially brandished the firearm just to get the others to leave, but when he saw his friend bleeding he “realized they had got one over on them, so I popped a couple rounds off at them.”

Police found seven bullet holes in the driver’s side of the vehicle in question. “Two bullet holes in the front fender, two in the front driver’s door, and three in the back driver’s side door,” the probable cause affidavit reads. At least one bullet penetrated a door and traveled through the passenger compartment, although no one was wounded in the shooting.

Police found seven shell casings between the sidewalk and S. Washington St. within a small area. “The approximate distance from Wittgren’s position as he was firing the handgun at [the acquaintance’s] vehicle was 12-15 feet,” the PCA reads.

Wittgren has been charged with the following in relation to the incident:

• Attempted murder
  • A level 1 felony
• Criminal recklessness
  • A level 5 felony
• Pointing a firearm at another
  • A level 6 felony

According to publicly available court documents, Wittgren filed a jury trial demand with the court, as well as a motion for a pretrial release assessment. An order for evaluation for alternative sentencing has also been entered into the court as well.

Wittgren’s initial hearing is scheduled for May 25 at 9 a.m. in Greene County Superior Court.