Elmer Street shooting suspect arraigned, new details released

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The suspect accused of shooting a 19-year-old man in the face during a robbery on Elmer Street has been charged with robbery resulting in bodily injury, according to the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office.

Jermaine Newsome, 18, was officially charged on Saturday and was arraigned on Monday.

On March 22 just before 12:30 p.m., Dazhon Howard showed up at the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head. Shot Spotter also alerted to a shooting in the 1700 block of N. Elmer in South Bend.

Howard had been shot in the jaw on the left side of his face and exited from his left temple. Medical personnel said the gunshot wound was millimeters from being fatal.

Howard told police he was at his apartment when he got a call from "T" to meet her near Elmer and Keller.

When he arrived in the 1700 block of Elmer, he started to get out of his car when Jermaine Newsome approached him with a gun.

Howard told police he and Newsome have known each other for years and went to school together.

Newsome allegedly demanded money from Howard. Howard reached for a gun and the two men struggled, according to the probable cause affidavit.

As the two men struggled, Howard was shot in the face.

Newsome fled the scene and Howard drove himself to the hospital, reports said.

Howard showed investigators a picture of Newsome and police learned he was wanted on warrants.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Newsome's home in the 1700 block of Elmer Street.

When police arrived to serve the warrant, Newsome was at the home with a woman.

Both agreed to speak with police.

At first Newsome said he knew nothing about the robbery because he was at his mother's house. Then he told them he was on King Street all day with his brother, reports said.

The woman said she had been in contact with Newsome all morning except for a 30 minute gap. She said the two met at the Elmer Street home around 2 p.m.

The suspect's brother, who is a juvenile, told police he was not with Newsome at all that day, reports said.

During the search of Newsome's home, police found a small caliber black revolver with five rounds and one spent casing. They also found a pair of tennis shoes that appeared to have blood on them.

Newsome's bond was set at $5,000.

His next hearing is scheduled for April 10.