On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2022, a family dispute in Edinburgh, Indiana, escalated into a fatal encounter that ended the life of 49-year-old Wayne E. McGeorge Jr. That evening, police were called to a residence on Bluff Road shortly after 6 p.m. to investigate a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered McGeorge with a single gunshot wound to his abdomen. Emergency responders provided medical aid at the scene before transporting him to Columbus Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly focused on a family member. McGeorge's 20-year-old stepson, Damion Bryant, was identified as the shooter and was taken into custody by Bartholomew County Sheriff's deputies. According to court documents, the incident was preceded by a fight between McGeorge and Bryant's mother. Bryant told investigators that his younger siblings had informed him of the altercation. He stated that he believed McGeorge had been drinking and could become aggressive.
A confrontation ensued when McGeorge returned to the residence. Bryant, who was armed with a rifle, claimed that McGeorge pushed him and put his hands around his neck. Bryant stated that he pushed McGeorge away with the barrel of the gun, at which point the weapon discharged, striking his stepfather in the abdomen. He then called 911 and attempted to apply pressure to the wound until help arrived. An autopsy later confirmed that McGeorge died from the single gunshot wound, and his death was ruled a homicide.
Initially, Damion Bryant was charged with murder in connection with his stepfather's death. However, in April of the following year, he entered into a plea agreement. Bryant pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of reckless homicide, a Level 5 felony. In May 2023, a Bartholomew County judge sentenced Damion Bryant to six years in the Department of Correction for the shooting death of Wayne E. McGeorge Jr. As part of his sentencing, Bryant was also ordered to pay restitution for funeral expenses.
