Oct 29, 2024
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A video taken at the northeast side party showed at least 40 underaged attendees drinking and dancing. Investigators would go on to discover number was likely closer to 100. An advertisement shared on social media told everyone to bring their own booze and weed. The Halloween party quickly escalated into a nightmare in which nine people were shot before one of the victims returned fire and killed the alleged 17-year-old aggressor. And when investigators later asked the homeowner why she didn't ever call police to break up the party, she's accused of responding, "What was I supposed to do?" Homeowner charged in connection to northeast Fort Wayne house party that led to mass shooting Allen Superior Court documents released Tuesday detail the conversation between investigators and 42-year-old Joanna Eastes, who owns the home in the 4900 block of Manistee Drive where a group largely composed of high schoolers met for a deadly party on the night of Oct. 19. Monday, police arrested Eastes on charges of neglect of a dependent, a Level 6 felony; furnishing property for the purpose of enabling minors to consume alcohol, a Level 6 felony, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a Class A misdemeanor. According to court documents, a flyer for the party encouraged attendees to "BYOB" - bring your own booze - and "BYOW" -- bring your own weed. While social media posts documented a crowd of about 40 young people drinking, messages between Eastes and her daughter showed there were at least 100 people, most of whom were not yet 21 years old, at the home that night. And instead of trying to stop it, Eastes was accused of going to her bedroom and locking the door when the party escalated. Her daughter said she also went to her bedroom when it got crowded and "there were kids from about every high school present at the party," according to court documents. When one particular teenager arrived at the party, people tried to stop him from coming in, but his group of friends forced their way in, according to a joint statement between the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office. That teen - a North Side High School later identified as Willie Venzell Ivy III - was shot and killed after he allegedly fired nine shots into the home. Nine people were injured, all of whom were between 14 and 20 years old. "I told Joanna what a stupid decision it was to allow this party to take place," police wrote in court documents. "Joanna stated that she agreed it was a bad decision." Eastes and her daughter admitted there was alcohol at the party, but told police in court documents there was no drug use. "I asked why Joanna did not call police to break up the party and she stated to me, 'What was I supposed to do?'" police wrote in court documents. After the mass shooting, police responded and found "utter chaos unfolding... vehicles were driving on peoples' lawns and teenagers were running through yards, hiding around homes for several blocks in every direction," investigators described in court documents. Crime scene photos showed a large decanter with alcohol in the garage, according to court documents, along with empty bottles of tequila and empty drink packages, with more containers throughout the home and around the property.
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