Justin L. Mack and Kristine Guerra

The Indianapolis Star

Shooting began after an argument with former girlfriend

Former girlfriend%27s roommate and neighbor were killed

Resident saw gunman%27s car and called police before more violence occurred

FRANKLIN, Ind. — Late Monday night, a 21-year-old Indiana man shot himself in the head with an AK-47 assault rifle, authorities said. Earlier in the evening he shot four people, two fatally, after an argument with his former girlfriend.

But before he killed himself, Andrew Parish called his brother and apologized.

Allan Parish said his brother sounded strangely calm on the phone.

Andrew Parish, said he was sorry for what he had done. He said things got out of hand. He said he didn't intend to shoot all those people.

He told his older brother that he loved him, and then he said goodbye.

"At first I thought it was a joke," Allan Parish said in an interview with The Indianapolis Star. "And then I watched the news and listened to the scanner. It became apparent that it wasn't."

The night of bloodshed rocked Franklin, Ind., a Johnson County town of nearly 24,000 people, and had authorities thankful for a sharp-eyed resident who called 911 before further violence occurred. Franklin is about 20 miles south of Indianapolis.

"My heart goes out to the families involved," said Franklin Police Chief Tim O'Sullivan. "It's unexpected. I don't know if I have words for it. It's just something you hope to never see again."

Events unfolded late Monday night, authorities said. Parish got into an argument with his former girlfriend, Maria D. Davis, 19, who was living at a Franklin home.

As the dispute escalated, Davis' 12-year-old brother ran to a neighbor's home for help.

Ernest E. Jasper, 46, and his two sons, Dustin A. Grey, 21, and Danny Scott Jr., 18, came over to try to calm Parish down, police said.

But when the neighbors arrived, Parish drew a handgun and fired multiple times, striking Jasper and Grey. He then turned the weapon to Davis' 19-year-old roommate, Sara Davidson, and Davis' 49-year-old mother, Lianne M. Smith, before fleeing in his blue Mustang.

Davidson was pronounced dead at the scene. Jasper died Tuesday at Methodist Hospital. His wife, Penny, declined to be interviewed for this story.

Smith, who also declined to be interviewed, was treated and released from the hospital. Grey remained hospitalized in stable condition.

Davis, her young brother and Scott were left unharmed.

Moments after the bloodshed police received a 911 call reporting a shooting. Shortly afterward, they received another 911 call of a suspicious car parked behind a grain bin less than 5 miles away.

When Johnson County and Franklin officers approached the Mustang, they heard a shot. Parish's body, an AK-47 assault rifle and a handgun were found.

"There were no words exchanged ... as soon as (police) got close enough to announce their presence, the individual shot himself outside the vehicle with an assault rifle," said Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox.

Cox praised the actions of the caller who spotted Parish's car, stating that the decision to call the authorities may have saved the lives of other residents as well as the officers who responded.

"We're pretty certain from what we're seeing at the grain bin that this young man was armed with a lot of ammunition," Cox said. "From what we can see through the windows of the vehicle ... I think he was prepared to do more than harm himself."

Police found a suicide note, but did not disclose its contents. They said the message was vague and did not shed any light on Parish's intentions.

Authorities were still working to determine whom the guns belonged to and how Parish obtained them.

Investigators described the incident as a premeditated shooting committed by a Franklin man prepared for violence.

"It's just a sad day in Johnson County," Cox said Tuesday morning at a news conference. "We may have these type of incidents once a year, but once is once too many as far as we're all concerned up here."

Police said Parish lived with his parents, but his address was not released. There were no prior reports of violence between Parish and Davis, police said. Cox said Parish's only run-in with police was a criminal mischief arrest a few years ago.

Thomas Weddle, a former neighbor who knew Parish and his two older brothers, said he couldn't believe that Andrew was the shooter. He said he remembers watching Andrew help his neighbors climb up a hill to escape the flood in 2008, when up to 5 feet of water drove residents from suburbs south of Indianapolis out of their damaged homes.

Neighbors who live near where the shootings occurred said this is the first time that violent crime has happened on this quiet street in a suburban subdivision lined with trees and two-story family homes. Even petty crimes such as thefts are rare.

"It's a decent neighborhood. You don't really think something like this is going to happen here," said Linda Murillo. "It's scary."

Franklin Mayor Joe McGuinness stressed that domestic disputes like the one between Parish and Davis should never be overlooked by residents. He said Monday night's tragic event is a perfect example of why citizens should call in these kinds of altercations as soon as they see them.

"Domestic violence ... can be escalated to the next level, and it should be taken very seriously," he said. "It doesn't matter what community you're in. As residents, family members (and) community members, we have to be cognizant of what is happening around us."

Allan Parish said he is still numb from Monday's events. His brother would have celebrated his 22nd birthday Wednesday.

He said his brother may have planned the shooting.

"It's the most awful feeling in the world to know that other people were murdered alongside him for no reason," he said. "It's just uncalled for. I don't know why he went to that extent. I can't tell you how much I feel for the other families."

Contributing: Cathy Knapp and Bill McCleery, The Indianapolis Star