Surviving victim shares experience in deadly Indiana Ave. shooting

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - With the prosecutor releasing a final report Friday ruling 35-year-old Tolies Word's death a justifiable homicide, the man he shot, 32-year-old Brandon McKinney shares his experience for the first time.

Brandon didn't want his face or voice to be aired, because he's says it's enough that his name out there for everyone to see--and he's still shaken up.

He agreed to share what happened on the phone.

Around one o'clock in the morning on November 25 at the formerly known Elva's Fiesta Club in South Bend, McKinney says he was hanging out with his ex-girlfriend.

“[We’re] talking to each other and then the other girl, Shardae, she came and hit her, she hit her with something…her face split open, and she grabbed her face. I turned around…I broke it up. I moved them all out the way," said McKinney.

He and the prosecutor's report say security escorted the group out.

Then, McKinney said a different girl started arguing with him on the stairs.

“[Tolies Word] started walking up the stairs. I’m still arguing with the girl, and then he tried to pull the gun out. When he tried to pull the gun out, I dived back in. When I was diving, I heard two shots, two shots right off the bat, and then I heard another shot, and then I heard a couple more," said Brandon.

According to the prosecutor's report, those last shots fired by a security guard ended up killing Word.

Brandon said he didn't even know he was shot at first, but then he discovered bullet holes in his leg, stomach, and through his phone.

The prosecutor said because they ruled the security guard acted in self-defense, no charges will be filed in the death of Word.

The office will be charging the security guard with Carrying a Handgun without a License.

Brandon finished the conversation, saying, “I just want to give my condolences out to the family who lost somebody, because it’s not right at all period, and it all could have been so simple. You know how they say one mistake turns into something that’s not even worth it.”

Tolies Word's wife says she's still trying to process the report and has no comment at this time.