WL shooting: Charges considered

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - As students started the first day of classes at Purdue, the Tippecanoe County prosecutor's office reviewed evidence in the near campus shooting over the weekend.

Deputy Prosecutor Kristen McVey said the office is "reviewing all reports and evidence" regarding the shooting at 204 Wiggins Street in West Lafayette Saturday night.

Outside, the apartments along Wiggins Street near Purdue looked like any other school day. But, for students, like Senior Sharon Ballard, who lives across the street from the location of the shooting, reality is still settling in.

"It's kind of shocking. It's kind of really shocking when you think about. I mean they are just starting their senior year. They haven't even been to classes yet and this just happend," said Ballard.

Ballard said she arrived home after work to find police and an ambulance on her block. She said she even had a few chats on her porch with Cory Lynch, one of the men who was arrested on preliminary charges of Reckless Homicide and Pointing a Loaded Firearm.

"He seemed really nice and just really down to earth and cool. I wouldn't imagine this happening," said Ballard.

A Facebook page appears to show 21-year-old Landon Siela of Fort Wayne.  It also appears that he is Facebook friends with 22-year-olds Lynch and William Calderon. 

But despite visiting friends Lynch and Calderon, police said Siela died after the two tried to play a joke by pointing a gun at Siela when he stepped out of a room. Police believe alcohol played a factor in the incident, something Purdue Senior Clay Bavender does not understand.

"It just sounded like a lot of stupidity to me just with mixing alcohol with firearms," said Bavender.

"If you're going to have a gun, you have to be responsible for it. Just know proper gun use. It's not a toy. You shouldn't be playing around with it," said Laura Stricker, a Purdue Junior.

Calerdon faces preliminary charges of Pointing an Unloaded Firearm, and False Informing.

Both men arrested in the case were released on bond early Sunday morning.