On the early morning of September 13, 2016, a violent outburst erupted at the Sports and Spirits Bar on East Wayne Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The establishment, situated near the corner of South Anthony Boulevard, was crowded with patrons when gunfire rang out inside the venue around 2:30 a.m. The sudden shooting created a chaotic scene as terrified witnesses fled the building, scrambling for safety while police officers rushed to the location to find a tumultuous environment with people
running in every direction.
Inside the bar, first responders discovered three men suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. Among the victims was 21-year-old male Demario Laquan Burnett, a young man remembered by loved ones as a talented individual who enjoyed rapping. Despite the immediate efforts of paramedics to provide medical attention, he was pronounced dead at the scene alongside 31-year-old Jerry Trivon Coleman and 30-year-old Nicholas Lee Powers. Two other individuals, both juveniles, were also struck by gunfire during the melee but managed to survive their injuries after being transported to a hospital.
The investigation into the triple homicide faced significant hurdles from the outset. Although witnesses reported hearing shots and seeing someone flee the establishment, the panic of the moment meant that police were unable to secure a specific suspect description immediately following the incident. Authorities noted that the sheer number of people fleeing the scene made it difficult to identify potential perpetrators or determine if there was more than one shooter involved. As the investigation continued over the years, no arrests were made in connection with the deaths of Demario and the other two men.
In the wake of the tragedy, scrutiny fell heavily on the Sports and Spirits Bar, which had a documented history of trouble. Police records indicated that officers had been called to the location hundreds of times over the preceding decade for various disturbances, including previous shootings and stabbings. Following the loss of life that September morning, the bar's owner voluntarily surrendered the liquor license, and the business was permanently closed. The building was eventually purchased by a company with plans to demolish the structure and replace it with a small park setting, erasing the physical site of the violence while the search for justice remained ongoing.
