In the early morning hours of Sunday, February 3, 2019, the quiet community of Peru, Indiana, was disturbed by a tragic event that would cut short the life of 18-year-old Nathan Joe Hopper. A call to the police reported that a man had been shot and was dead inside a house on North Mexico Road. When officers from the Miami County Sheriff's Office arrived at the residence shortly after 7 a.m., they discovered the body of Nathan, a male who had suffered a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced
dead at the scene.
The investigation into Nathan's death, a collaborative effort between the Miami County Sheriff's Office, the Miami County Coroner's Office, and the Indiana State Police, quickly began to unravel the circumstances of the shooting. It was soon learned that Nathan was not alone when the fatal shot was fired. Details emerged that he had been with a friend, 18-year-old Brayden M. Berkshire, a senior honor roll student and varsity volleyball player from nearby Logansport High School, where Nathan had also previously been a student.
According to court documents, Nathan and Brayden were playing with a gun when the incident occurred. Berkshire later admitted to authorities that she had pointed the handgun at Nathan's head. She claimed that he had told her to pull the trigger and that she did not believe the gun was loaded. After the shot was fired, Berkshire told police that she placed the gun in Nathan's hand in an attempt to make it appear as though he had shot himself.
Brayden Berkshire was arrested in connection with Nathan Hopper's death and faced charges of reckless homicide and obstruction of justice. In September 2019, she accepted a plea deal. Subsequently, in November of that year, the 19-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison for her role in the shooting death of her friend.
