Ohio – An Ohio man was indicted on Thursday by the County Court of Common Pleas and now faces two counts of feIonious assauIt, one count of tampering with evidence, one count of iIIegal possession of a firearm in a Iiquor permit premises, and two counts of probation vioIation, jail records show . Each of the felonious assault charges carries a firearm specification, which could significantly increase his potential prison sentence upon conviction .
The incident occurred in late June near an Ohio bar, according to local police and court filings. Officers were called to the scene after reports of a shooting outside the establishment. When they arrived, they found at least one victim wounded by gunfire and another person standing nearby who identified himself as the shooter, 27-year-old Jakob . The defenadnt reportedly admitted to carrying a firearm and said he had fired the weapon, telling officers he had been defending himself after an altercation .
Responding officers also collected accounts from several witnesses who overheard the shooter make remarks about shooting the victim while laughing, according to a local news outlet . One witness described the defendant as bragging about shooting his rival outside the bar, which contradicted the defendant’s claim of self-defense .
On the scene, investigators seized a concealed handgun that matched the shell casings found near the shooting site. Law enforcement processed the weapon for ballistics and gathered additional forensic evidence. Officers also interviewed multiple bystanders who reported hearing gunshots and seeing the defendant brandish the weapon, lending support to the charges of felonious assault and illegal firearm possession .
Following the initial response, Ohio authorities obtained warrants to search the defendant’s car and person. They recovered the firearm and collected items that could be interpreted as attempts to conceal evidence, prompting the tampering charge. Jail records indicate that the defendant was already on probation for an unrelated case, and the new charges triggered probation violations, adding two more counts to his indictment .
During booking, the defendant remained calm and reportedly made statements to corrections officers claiming he had defended himself during the altercation outside the bar. He was then transported to the county jail, where he is currently held without bond because of the seriousness and number of charges. Ohio authorities stated that the defendant appeared to have shot the man because of a woman who had dated the victim and did not want to be romantically involved with the shooter.
After being shot, the 23-year-old victim took a ride-share to a nearby hospital, where he was reported to be in critical condition, according to local news outlet WDTN. Police say the defendant confessed to shooting the man, saying he did so because the man was making threats. However, witnesses told police they did not hear any threats from the alleged victim. Court documents reveal that security footage from the bartender showed the defendant firing two shots at the other man.