Authorities charged a 35-year-old Gary man with eight felonies, including unlawful possession of a handgun by a serious felon and reckless homicide, in connection with the shooting death of 9-year-old Adrian Brown on Saturday at his Gary home.
Raymon Lamar Bell, of the 400 block of Madison Street, was charged Tuesday and was taken to the Lake County Jail.
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter issued the following statement:
“Today, the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office has formally filed charges against Raymon Bell in connection with the tragic shooting death of a 9-year-old child who found and discharged an unsecured firearm.
“This heartbreaking incident serves as a solemn reminder of the devastating consequences of failing to properly secure guns in the home. The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the family and all those affected by this tragedy.”
Police said Bell lived with the boy’s mother, Jasmine Stokes, and the boy’s two older siblings, ages 11 and 13, also reside at the residence.
Gary police said the victim found a handgun under a mattress.
Bell and Stokes left the three children alone Saturday, saying they needed to go to the store to get noodles.
Police spoke with the 11-year-old and his grandmother, who now has custody of the children.
The 11-year-old said he was in the living room watching TV and heard a loud “boom” and found his brother Adrian lying on the floor in the hallway.
He said he ran to the bedroom and told his older brother Adrian was hurt. The 11-year-old said Adrian told him Bell had a firearm a few weeks ago but didn’t know where it was kept. He said his brother thought it was a “fake gun.”
The boy described the weapon to police.
“After detectives left the room for a few minutes, (the 11-year-old boy) broke down in tears appearing to be physically and emotionally distraught,” the charging document stated.
After a criminal record check on Bell, police found he was convicted of aggravated battery in 2015. That conviction made him a serious violent felon under Indiana law. He was also convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon in 2024. Police said Bell appears to be on probation for that offense.
When Bell and Stokes returned home, they picked up Adrian and drove him to Methodist Northlake Hospital. Bell dropped them off and left, driving a Jeep Cherokee without a license plate, police said.
During a police interview, Bell denied having a gun at the house or any knowledge of a firearm. He denied consent to search his phone.
The affidavit said police believe Bell removed the firearm from the crime scene “before he seemingly surreptitiously avoided police contact,” until he was interviewed Sunday.
The children’s grandmother said Bell came to her house after the shooting with the children and was aware Bell had said he was feeling guilty about what occurred.
Initially, a release stated police responded to a 911 hang-up call about 6:30 p.m. Saturday from the residence. Before officers arrived, police received a separate call from Methodist Northlake Hospital in Gary reporting a 9-year-old gunshot victim. He was transported to the hospital by a relative.
An autopsy by the Lake County coroner’s office concluded the boy died from gunshot wounds. It labeled his death as a homicide.
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Authorities charged Bell with neglect of a dependent resulting in death; neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury; unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent offender; reckless homicide; three counts of neglect of a dependent and obstruction of justice.
Gary police said they’re in partnership with the Lake County Prosecutor’s office to promote community awareness and educational initiatives about gun safety to prevent future tragedies.
The release added a statement:
“We understand the profound impact this heartbreaking loss has on our community. As we continue our investigation, we want to emphasize that it is essential to share only verified facts, particularly when children are involved. We consider it our responsibility to ensure that all information released is accurate and respectful. At this time, these are all the facts we can provide, and we will keep the public informed as the investigation progresses.”
A spokeswoman for the Gary Community School Corp. said Adrian attended the Glen Park Academy last year but was not enrolled this year.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.