Update: On July 30, 2026, a jury found Kaeden Douglas guilty of murder. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 21, 2026.
Original story (published July 22, 2025): Prosecutors have charged a man with murder for his alleged involvement in a fatal shooting outside the Mucky Duck Pub in southeast Indianapolis.
Indianapolis police said Kaeden Douglas shot Jereme Dillingham in a parking lot just after 1:30 a.m. on July 17. Dillingham was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries.
An altercation began outside the Mucky Duck when Dillingham, 28, approached Douglas in his car, according to court records. Customers said Douglas had been insulting bar patrons and using racially charged language. One customer, who said she is a regular, told police Douglas has a reputation for causing trouble at the bar.
After Douglas called Dillingham the N-word, Dillingham tried to swing at him. Douglas, who witnesses said was drunk and belligerent, fired a handgun, hitting Dillingham, and drove away, according to a police account of witness interviews.
Douglas will be held in custody until his trial in September, according to court records.
Details of what happened at Mucky Duck Pub
About 10 minutes before the shooting, Douglas began shoving a customer in the side room of the bar, according to police who watched surveillance camera footage. Dillingham appeared to try to de-escalate the argument between his female friends and Douglas.
Eventually, Dillingham shook hands and hugged the man who police said would later kill him.
A short time later, Douglas began to fight with a bouncer after bar staff attempted to speak with him, police said. One customer told police he overheard the man say, “You all are dead men,” as he was forced to leave.
Minutes later, a woman punched Douglas in front of his car because he was insulting her, police said. In response, Douglas said he had something for her and began reaching into his car. The woman ran into the bar, she said.
Dillingham and another man approached Douglas’ car, where he was sitting. The man told police he recognized the sound of a gun cocking and told Dillingham to stay back. However, Dillingham walked toward the car and tried to swing at Douglas after he called Dillingham the N-word, the man told police.
Douglas shot Dillingham and drove away, the man told police. He began CPR on Dillingham.
Indianapolis police’s SWAT team arrested Douglas the same day at an address associated with him. They recovered a handgun from his vehicle and another inside the home.
When police interviewed Douglas, he said he had upward of five drinks that night. He said he was acting in self-defense and was scared for his life. He couldn’t remember what would cause him to be scared for his life, according to court records.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: ‘You all are dead men’: Man charged with murder after drunken bar shooting
Reporting by Matthew Cupelli, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Matthew Cupelli, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
