On the afternoon of September 30, 2022, a violent disturbance erupted at Champs Barber Shop on the east side of Indianapolis, Indiana. Officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were dispatched to the business, located near East 10th Street and Emerson Avenue, following reports of gunfire. Upon arrival, first responders discovered a chaotic scene where multiple individuals had been struck by bullets.
Among the victims was 24-year-old male Kevin Lamont Lee Stigger, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. Despite the efforts of emergency personnel, Stigger was pronounced dead at the scene by the Marion County Coroner’s Office.
Two other individuals were injured during the shooting. A woman found inside the barbershop suffering from a gunshot wound was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. A third victim, a man who had fled the shop and run across the street to seek help, was also hospitalized but was reported to be in stable condition. The sudden violence shocked the local community, leaving the barbershop—a place typically associated with social gathering—marked by tragedy.
For over a year, the investigation into Stigger's death continued without an arrest. However, in October 2023, authorities announced a breakthrough in the case. Detectives apprehended 20-year-old Jamion Johnson at a strip mall on 10th Street, just blocks away from where the shooting occurred. Johnson was taken into custody on a warrant connected to the deadly incident.
Following his arrest, Johnson faced serious legal repercussions. Prosecutors filed formal charges against him, including murder, Level 1 felony attempted murder, Level 5 felony reckless homicide, and Level 5 felony criminal recklessness. Court documents later revealed that while Johnson allegedly admitted to firing a handgun six times inside the shop, claiming self-defense against an armed entrant, legal challenges regarding his culpability for Stigger's death persisted. In 2025, an appellate court upheld the murder charge against him, rejecting a motion to dismiss despite defense arguments regarding the source of the fatal shot.
