According to court records, the victim was shot multiple times in the chest and body Oct. 4 after he and Ackerman had an argument. Ackerman, the victim and two witnesses were reportedly at another person’s apartment on the east side of Springfield to celebrate their birthday and were drinking alcohol when Ackerman and the victim began arguing.
“Ackerman contacted associates of hers after the victim began making threats to have the apartment shot up,” court records state.
The victim was near the apartment complex when four suspects got out of a vehicle and shot him multiple times before fleeing, according to court documents. He went to the entrance of Cole Manor and was transported to Mercy Health — Springfield, before being transferred to Miami Valley Hospital for surgery.
An extraction of Ackerman’s cell phone reportedly found deleted messages between her, Thomas and Daniels, showing she “was complicit in getting the suspects to the area to shoot the victim.”
Police cited a witness who said Thomas, Daniels and another man washed their hands of gunshot residue at another apartment, and Daniels allegedly told the witness that Thomas and the other man were involved in the shooting.
Because the other man has not been charged with a crime, the News-Sun is not identifying him.
According to court documents, after surveillance, police went to Ronez Manor in northeast Springfield, where Thomas initially fled before giving up. He told police he had a gun on him that was found to have been stolen.
The victim identified Thomas as having shot him and said he saw the other man involved with him, according to court records. Thomas first said the victim was “in a drunken state and not a threat to anyone,” but he later admitted he shot the victim and claimed self defense “after he knew he had been identified as the shooter,” according to court records.
Daniels allegedly told police that she and Ackerman were on a video call when she saw the victim grab Ackerman’s arm, and Ackerman asked for a ride. Police said she told them she arrived with multiple people including Thomas and the other man, and the man shot first and Thomas shot into the ground, but she “changed her story” and said Thomas had pointed his gun when she walked back to the car.
“She stated once that occurred she began walking to the car when shots began. Haley stated they all returned to her apartment where [the other man] and Marques discussed the shooting and took count of the bullets they had fired,” court documents state.
Thomas and Ackerman are listed as being in custody at the Clark County Jail.
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