COLUMBUS, Ind. – The Columbus Police Department (CPD) responded to a report of gunfire near a nightclub in the 2200 block of State Street on Sunday, October 27, at around 3:30 a.m.
Upon arrival, officers spoke with several individuals who indicated that an argument had occurred, during which 43-year-old Pedro Luis Rivera Ayala allegedly fired a gun. One of the bullets struck Bradford Alexander Kendrick Brooks, 32, who was nearby. A friend drove the victim to a hospital near Indianapolis, where he later died from his injuries on November 9.
As the investigation progressed, Rivera Ayala was arrested on October 28 and initially faced charges of Pointing a Firearm, Intimidation with a Deadly Weapon, Aggravated Battery, Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon, and Operating a Motor Vehicle without ever Obtaining a License.
He has remained in the Bartholomew County Jail since his arrest.
CPD detectives, in cooperation with the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office, are actively working to amend the charges to include homicide. It is important to note that these are preliminary charges, and individuals are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
