ANDERSON, Ind. — A Madison County man who allegedly drove a car into an Anderson gun shop has been charged with two counts of attempted murder.
An affidavit filed Thursday indicates 36-year-old George Bryant rammed a vehicle into Gun Slingers — which is located in the 1100 block of East 24th Street — around 11:24 p.m. on March 9. Police detained Bryant shortly after they arrived at the scene to investigate the crash.
During a subsequent interview with police, Bryant called his decision to drive a car into the shop a suicide attempt. According to court documents, Bryant also told police he ran into the shop because he wanted to steal a gun and use it to kill somebody.
Police indicated that Bryant later said he was planning to kill two of his family members and himself. He said he wanted to kill his family members because they made fun of him for being gay.
Police asked Bryant if he would have gone through with the killings had officers not caught him at the gun store. He responded to the question by saying “Yes, I would’ve.”
Investigators also asked Bryant multiple times if he had harmed or killed anybody before driving into the gun shop. Bryant told police he had not hurt anybody before ramming a car into Gun Slingers.
During his interview, Bryant told investigators he had smoked synthetic marijuana before crashing into the gun store.
According to court records, Bryant used a stolen car to strike Gun Slingers. The vehicle had been reported stolen to the Lawrence Police Department on March 7.
During his interview with police, Bryant admitted that he took the car from a parking lot on Pendleton Pike in Indianapolis.
In addition to attempted murder, Bryant has also been charged with burglary, theft involving a firearm, auto theft, theft and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.
Attempted murder is a Level 1 Felony in Indiana. The maximum penalty for a Level 1 Felony in the Hoosier State is a 40-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000.
