Weeks after he and his father were accused of shooting another man during a financial dispute, an Indiana man was taken into custody.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police charged 22-year-old Donnie Abney III with murder in relation to the shooting death of 62-year-old Forrest Tab Grant on April 17. Donnie Abney III, also known as “Little Donnie,” and his father, Donnie Abney Jr., also known as “Big Donnie,” got into a fight with Grant, according to court documents that local Fox affiliate WXIN was able to obtain. It ended with Grant being shot in the back, allegedly by “Little Donnie.”
Police spoke with nine witnesses who claimed to have seen the two older males fighting at a bus stop and identified “Little Donnie” as the alleged shooter, according to court filings. After that, “Little Donnie,” as he was also known in the court filings, joined his father’s side of the dispute.
“Little Donnie” apparently pulled a gun on Grant during the verbal altercation, but it did not discharge. “Little Donnie” is said to have shot Grant in the back as he turned his back on the father-son pair and left.
Then both Abney men fled the scene. After being brought to a hospital, Grant was declared deceased.
The court documents’ witnesses claim that the day before the alleged shooting, Grant and “Little Donnie” got into another argument at a neighbouring Family Dollar shop. According to reports, “Little Donnie” also held his gun against Grant during the altercation without firing.
The day after the alleged shooting, a family member told police that “Little Donnie” had called her on Facebook Messenger and reportedly said, “Don’t stress out, I didn’t mean to. He was going to pull his gun first. I’m a hot head and I shot him.”
He allegedly said to another family member, “Well, you’re not going to see me for a long time. I got in a fight with this guy, he had a gun and I had a gun, he pulled out his gun and I pulled out my gun and shot him. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it.”
During the altercation with the Abney males, witnesses reported to police that Grant was brandishing a stick.
When police found Donnie Abney III two weeks after the shooting, the suspect attempted to flee, according to a Facebook post announcing his arrest. In the end, he was arrested and brought to the Marion County Jail. The Marion County prosecutor’s office will determine whether or not to formally prosecute Donnie Abney Jr. with murder, according to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police.
