LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) — The suspect in a fatal shooting outside a restaurant in Lawrence told officers he shot the victim because he thought he and his friends were hitmen coming to kill him. Germane Tepale, 32, was shot and killed in the parking lot outside Don Marcos Mexican restaurant in Lawrence Sunday night. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a hospital. According to the Lawrence Police Department, an officer patrolling near the restaurant heard shots coming from the restaurant around 8 p.m. and rushed to the scene. There, the officer saw several people running through the parking lot who were pointing at an SUV fleeing the scene. One man, identified as Tepale’s brother, yelled, “He shot my brother.” Police drove after the SUV and arrested its driver, 42-year-old Eliezer Suarez, who lied about his identity when asked by investigators. Police also found a gun lying in Suarez’s floorboard. A probable cause affidavit shared with News 8 describes detectives’ conversation with Tepale’s brother, friend, and Suarez. Tepale’s brother and friend told officers they were at Don Marcos drinking when their table started arguing with another group of bar patrons. They say they didn’t know what the argument was over or who the men were, but their group decided to leave. They then said Suarez followed them out of the bar and confronted them in the parking lot. At some point, Suarez pulled out his gun and shot Tepale twice – once in the chest and once in the head. Police tried to speak with other witnesses but said they were “uncooperative.” They also noted that Tepale’s brother and friend smelled of alcohol. When Suarez spoke to detectives, he said he thought Tepale and his group were hitmen sent to kill him over drugs. Suarez said he went to Don Marcos around 4 p.m. and was drinking alone. When he left the bar, Suarez told police “several men surrounded him and pushed him down and hit him on his head.” He then pulled his gun and fired, unsure if he hit anyone. Suarez said he did not know the men, but believed they “were hired to kill him because he would not sell drugs for Don Marcos.” He could not detectives any visible wounds from the fight, though said his shoulder hurt. Detectives reviewed security camera footage from the restaurant and saw multiple men fighting in the doorway. They did not see who struck first or what started the fight, but noted that Tepale was involved. They did not see Suarez in the bar and said there was no security footage outside the bar. Suarez was arrested and taken to the Marion County jail without bond. He faces preliminary charges of murder and aggravated battery. Jail records show he is due in court for a hearing Wednesday. Man dies after Lawrence shooting; suspect detained Man arrested for fatal shooting at Mexican restaurant in Lawrence