In the afternoon hours of June 19, 2025, a fateful encounter in a church parking lot on West Rudisill Boulevard in Fort Wayne, Indiana, ended the life of 24-year-old Damontre Tayshon Burnett. The young man, known to friends and family as 'Money,' was pronounced deceased at the scene by medics who responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting.
An investigation into the fatal shooting was immediately launched by the Fort Wayne Police Department.
The investigation quickly led detectives to a 17-year-old suspect, Kaedan Mowery. Despite his age, the decision was made to charge him as an adult in connection with Burnett's death. Court documents filed in the case revealed a complex and volatile situation that preceded the deadly shooting. According to the accounts of witnesses, including Mowery's own sister who was present in the vehicle, the meeting was arranged with the initial intention of purchasing shoes. Mowery, accompanied by his sister and a friend, arrived in a black Ford Focus to meet with Burnett.
Statements provided to investigators suggest that the transaction took a dangerous turn. It is alleged that after Mowery handed over money, Burnett produced a handgun and attempted to rob the occupants of the vehicle, demanding their belongings and instructing them to strip. In response to this threat, Mowery allegedly drew his own firearm and shot Burnett. Surveillance footage from the area captured a person, later identified as a witness, fleeing from the car, followed by Burnett falling out of the rear driver's side door. The footage also appeared to show an arm extending from the car and firing more shots as the vehicle sped away from the scene.
Following the incident, law enforcement tracked Mowery's girlfriend to a location in Ossian, where they found the Ford Focus used in the incident. Further investigation led to the recovery of two firearms that Mowery's sister indicated he had hidden. Based on the evidence gathered and witness testimonies, Kaedan Mowery was arrested and formally charged with murder in the death of Damontre Tayshon Burnett. He was incarcerated as he awaited the progression of his case through the adult court system.
