On Saturday, March 16, 2024 the Indianapolis, Indiana police arrested a suspect in connection with an early morning shooting at Landsharks bar located on Broad Ripple Avenue that left one person dead and injured five.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) responded rapidly after officers stationed nearby heard shots fired from the establishment just after 1 a.m.
Upon their arrival, law enforcement officers found six adult males suffering from gunshot wounds. Immediate medical assistance was provided on-site before five victims were transported to local hospitals for further care. However, one of the victims, Timothy Brown Jr., a part-time employee of the bar, was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. The sixth victim, having sustained gunshot injuries in the same incident, independently sought treatment at a hospital, bringing the total count of those injured to six.
Investigations at the bar and medical facilities disclosed that a dispute between two women escalated into the fatal shooting, according to official statements.
Evidence collected by detectives at Landsharks included spent bullet casings, bloodstained clothing, and other forensic materials. Surveillance footage from the venue led to the identification of a male suspect clad in a brown jacket and a baseball cap with a red brim.
This video captured the suspect, later confirmed as Nicholas Fulk, 25, receiving a firearm from a female companion shortly after entering. Fulk is seen discharging the weapon while advancing towards the exit, where investigators found the bullet casings. The footage concludes with Fulk and the female fleeing the scene.
The broader network of Broad Ripple cameras, part of the B-Link System, which encompasses nearly 20 local businesses, was instrumental in tracking Fulk’s movements after the incident. The system’s access to an additional 50 cameras proved crucial for the rapid progression of the criminal investigation, according to North District Commander Matthew Thomas.
Subsequent investigation efforts led to the location of Fulk and the female companion’s vehicle, a Toyota Corolla with Arkansas registration, at an apartment complex on Indianapolis’s south side. This breakthrough was facilitated by the strategic deployment of license plate readers throughout Broad Ripple and the city.
The identification of Fulk was further corroborated by comparing a distinctive tattoo on his temple with imagery in the department’s database.
As surveillance continued at the apartment complex, authorities apprehended Fulk and the woman, escorting them to the homicide division for questioning.
The execution of search warrants allowed detectives to recover a firearm matching the caliber of shell casings found at the scene and attire consistent with what the suspect wore in the surveillance footage.
Fulk has been charged with murder and several felony counts of aggravated battery and battery with a deadly weapon in connection with the incident, which IMPD Chief Chris Bailey described as “deeply disturbing.”
Bailey added that “it is also important to stress personal responsibility and who is truly to blame for this cowardly shooting — the suspect,” Bailey said. “He chose to pull the trigger, killing one of our neighbors, injuring five others, and traumatizing many more.”
During interrogation, the woman implicated in the event recounted the escalation of an altercation within the club, leading to the outbreak of gunfire. She claimed ignorance regarding the shooter’s identity, including whether Fulk was involved.
In invoking his legal rights, Full refrained from making a statement and requested an attorney. His criminal background includes probation for theft in 2022 and a prior felony conviction for strangulation in 2020.
The status of Landsharks remains uncertain, with recent online searches indicating the establishment as “permanently closed.” Local media attempts to verify this with the bar have yet to receive a response.