13 WTHRTeen shot, killed in Shelby County incident

SHELBY COUNTY -

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating the apparent shooting death of a teenager in Shelby County Friday afternoon.

It happened near CR 550 West, about three miles south of State Road 44 in Shelby County.

Police believe a father and his four children had permission to use a wooded area for paintball activities.  

The group was taking paintball equipment out of their vehicle when witnesses say a homeowner came out of a home and began firing shots.

One teenager from the paintball group was struck in the shoulder and killed. He has been identified as Brandon J. Spangler, 17, of Flushing Michigan.  Brandon was in Indiana during school break with his father, who lives in Greenwood.

The Shelby County Deputy coroner pronounced the boy dead at the scene.  It is unknown if there was more than one gunshot wound.

The father and other children were taken to Major Hospital in Shelbyville for observation.

On Friday afternoon, investigators interviewed Jason Bagley, 41. Bagley told officers that he knew the victim’s family, and had given them permission to play paintball on his property. However, he said, he did not know the family was on the property Friday.

Bagley said he heard a disturbance Friday near a treeline on his property and believed it to be a coyote attack. He told investigators that he fired his rifle multiple times in the direction of the treeline. One of those shots struck the victim.

Investigators will turn over their findings to the Shelby County Prosecutor to determine if charges will be filed.