1 adult, 2 teens charged in Leesburg drive-by shooting

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HILLSBORO — Formal charges were filed on Tuesday against two juveniles who were allegedly involved in an apparent drive-by shooting in Leesburg earlier this month, and the case against a Jeffersonville man who was also reportedly involved was set to be bound over to a grand jury.

Drew Harrop, 18, Jeffersonville, and two 17-year-old males were charged with a number of firearm violations for allegedly shooting a handgun at a home in Leesburg as they drove by, according to court documents.

Both juveniles were charged with improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation and felonious assault, both second-degree felonies.

Harrop was also charged with improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation; improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony; and two counts of contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a child, also a first-degree misdemeanor.

Harrop was also charged with drug abuse, a first-degree misdemeanor, after authorities found what appeared to be prescription drugs in the vehicle, according to a law enforcement affidavit.

Charges filed against Harrop were dismissed on Tuesday to be bound over to a grand jury.

According to a complaint filed in the case, law enforcement received reports of shots being fired at a Brown Street home in Leesburg on Feb. 17. On arrival, authorities found Harrop and the two juveniles in a vehicle stuck in a ditch, where they had been blocked in by a nearby resident, according to the affidavit.

Officers located a firearm about 10 feet from the vehicle, as well as a holster on the driver’s side floor of the car, according to the complaint. One of the juveniles’ belts was partially undone, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, Harrop admitted to law enforcement that he had fired the weapon, but said he had been “talked into it” by the two juveniles, who had been involved in an ongoing feud with a resident of the Brown Street home.

Harrop initially said one of the juveniles had given him the gun, but later said he could not remember who gave it to him, the complaint said.

Approximately six shots were fired in the incident, according to the complaint, and at least one bullet entered a residence. Two vehicles also sustained damage, the complaint said.

There were no reported injuries.

After the incident, an apparent confrontation between a nearby resident and the suspects resulted in the suspect vehicle getting stuck in a ditch by the side of the road, the affidavit said, and the resident stayed with Harrop and the juveniles until law enforcement arrived.

All three were arrested and remain in jail.

At a pretrial hearing in Highland County Juvenile Court on Tuesday, the father of one of the juveniles requested Judge Kevin Greer release the juvenile into his custody, and the judge denied the request.

The father said he would be able to constantly monitor the juvenile to keep him out of trouble. Greer said while he understood and appreciated the father’s position, he couldn’t take the risk of the same type of incident happening again.

“It’s nothing short of a miracle that somebody didn’t get hurt,” Greer said.

Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @DavidWrighter.

Harrop
http://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2018/02/web1_f-drew-harrop.jpgHarrop
Court docs: No injuries after shots fired at Brown Street home

By David Wright

The Times-Gazette

AIM Media Midwest News Network

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