Amel Tarver

Suspect arrested in deadly shooting

By Megan Hubartt

Published: January 4, 2008

A Fort Wayne man has been arrested in a shooting last week outside a home on the city’s near-north side that left one man dead.

Cory J. Gray, 28, of the 3400 block of West Jefferson Boulevard, is accused of shooting 31-year-old Amel D. Tarver after Tarver yelled at Gray to get off a woman he was attacking outside 1509 Cass St. about 4:15 a.m. Dec. 27, according to court documents filed Thursday.

Gray was arrested early Thursday.

The woman, Theresa Aranda, was living at the Cass Street home with her four children. She had been dating Tarver for about three months, court documents said.

Tarver, whom Aranda called Mel, lived at a home in the 1600 block of Cass Street but was staying at her house the morning he was shot, she said.

According to the court documents, Aranda told police her 12-year-old son woke her up early Dec. 27 and told her that Gray was outside the house trying to take the tires off her car.

Aranda told police she confronted Gray, and he attacked her, knocking her to the ground and choking her. There was redness on her neck, court documents said.

When Tarver came out of the house and yelled at Gray to get off her, Gray pulled out a gun and fired several shots toward the house where Tarver was standing, court documents said.

Gray then turned the gun toward Aranda, but she ran toward the house and Gray ran to his vehicle and left, the documents said.

When police arrived at the home they found Tarver lying on the kitchen floor, bleeding from his head, court documents said.

Tarver was taken to Parkview Hospital in critical condition where he died Saturday, Allen County Coroner Dr. E. Jon Brandenberger said.

An autopsy Sunday determined that he died of gunshot wounds.

His death was declared the 27th homicide in the county in 2007.

All but one occurred in Fort Wayne.

Gray is initially charged with aggravated battery, strangulation and unlawful possession of a firearm by a violent felon. He is being held in the Allen County Lockup without bail.

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