PEKIN, IN — Indiana State Police are investigating a late-night domestic battery and shooting that unfolded Sunday near Pekin and ended Monday with a suspect in custody after a chase through three counties. Troopers say the case began around 10:46 p.m. on East Blankenbaker Road, where deputies and state police responded to a report of violence at a home driveway. A woman at the residence had visible injuries, and investigators say another woman was shot when she arrived moments later. The suspect fled in a black Ford Explorer before officers reached the scene.
How the incident unfolded
According to investigators, the suspect was identified as 33-year-old Aaron Scott Wilson Thornberry of Pekin. Police say he had an altercation with one woman at the home, then allegedly fired multiple rounds at a second woman as she pulled into the driveway. The shooting victim was taken to University of Louisville Hospital, while the first woman was transported to Ascension Saint Vincent Salem. Washington County deputies asked Indiana State Police to take over the case, and Detective Travis Baker was assigned as the lead investigator.
Chase crossed three counties
While officers continued working the scene in Washington County, Thornberry’s SUV was spotted by a Scott County officer on State Road 56. That sighting led to a traffic stop attempt and a pursuit that stretched through Scott, Jefferson and Clark counties. Officers from multiple agencies used stop sticks in an effort to end the chase, but Thornberry kept driving. The pursuit continued until Trooper Jason Riley used a PIT maneuver on State Road 62 near Marble Hill Road in Clark County, forcing the Explorer into a ditch where the driver was taken into custody without further incident.
Charges filed in case
Authorities say Thornberry now faces a long list of felony counts tied to the shooting and the domestic incident. The charges include two counts of attempted murder, burglary, criminal confinement and two counts of intimidation. He is also charged with operating a loaded machine gun, possession of a machine gun, domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon, domestic battery with bodily injury to a person under 14, domestic battery resulting in bodily injury, criminal recklessness, pointing a firearm and residential entry. Police did not immediately release additional details about the injuries or the circumstances surrounding each charge.
Jail and agency response
Thornberry is being held in the Washington County Jail on a $1 million cash bond. Indiana State Police said several agencies helped with the response, investigation and pursuit, including the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Scottsburg Police Department, Scott County Sheriff’s Department and Clark County officers. The case remains under investigation by the Sellersburg Post, which is handling the incident after the initial report from local deputies. Officials have not announced a court schedule or any additional charges beyond those filed so far.
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