Gaston, Ind.
A 17-year-old high school student confessed this week to four separate shootings on Indiana roads that left one man dead. Authorities said that Zachariah Blanton, of Gaston, admitted that he used his bolt-action hunting rifle to fire at passing vehicles on I-65, in the southern part of the state. The shooting spree claimed the life of 40-year-old Jerry Ross, a passenger in a pickup truck; another man was grazed in the head in a separate incident, while no one was hurt in the other two shootings. A tip from an acquaintance of Blanton’s led police to the teen. They searched his home and found a rifle that matched the caliber of the bullets used in the shootings. Police would not comment about Blanton’s motives, though he reportedly maintained a Web page that expressed admiration for the KKK. He faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and criminal recklessness.
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