In the early morning hours of January 28, 2018, violence erupted at the Sawmill Saloon, a bar located near the intersection of Sherman Avenue and 14th Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. What began as a disturbance inside the crowded establishment quickly escalated into a chaotic brawl involving multiple patrons. The conflict reportedly started as a physical altercation between two men, Marion Glenn and 24-year-old Deron Gray, before spilling out into the bar's gated outdoor patio area.
As the situation intensified outside, the physical fighting turned deadly when a firearm was introduced to the fray, resulting in a barrage of gunfire that struck five individuals.
Among those critically wounded was 50-year-old James Ratcliffe. Despite the arrival of emergency responders, the injuries sustained during the shooting proved fatal. Ratcliffe, a male resident of Indianapolis, was one of two lives lost that night; Deron Gray also died from his wounds. The tragedy left three other victims injured but surviving the attack. The incident prompted a significant homicide investigation by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, who worked to piece together the chaotic sequence of events that transformed a night out into a double murder.
Months of investigation eventually pointed authorities toward a specific suspect believed to be responsible for the deadly gunfire. In July 2018, police arrested Jerrick Whitley, a 32-year-old man identified as the cousin of the individual who had initially fought with Gray inside the bar. Whitley was apprehended at a residence near 41st and Broadway Street and subsequently charged with multiple felonies, including two counts of murder for the deaths of Ratcliffe and Gray.
The legal proceedings against Whitley culminated in a trial where prosecutors presented evidence linking him to the shooting, including details about the initial fight and his actions during the subsequent melee. In 2019, a jury found Jerrick Whitley guilty on two counts of murder and one count of Level 3 felony aggravated battery. On October 31, 2019, the court handed down a severe sentence, ordering Whitley to serve an aggregate term of 119 years in the Department of Correction—55 years for each murder conviction and an additional nine years for the battery charge, to be served consecutively. This conviction was later upheld following an appeal in 2020.
