They knew he had a gun and he was 'trippin,' homicide court docs say

FORT WAYNE, Ind. ---Patrons at the American Legion Post at Hanna and Lewis streets had to hustle Isaiah J. Wilson out of the bar in the early hours of Sunday, April 13.

People were understandably upset when Wilson, 26, sat at the bar and talked about how demons were going to get him, according to a probable cause affidavit written by homicide detective Brian Martin.

Isaiah Wilson

He appeared to be having “a mental episode” and people thought he was on drugs. A witness said Wilson’s sister and mother tried to calm down and there was talk that he was having a “schizophrenic attack” and that he was “trippin.” 

“Tripping" for the uninitiated is a term for people losing reality while on drugs.

Forty years ago, Wilson might have been taken to a medical center, treated with a shot of Thorazine and calmed down. He might have been forced into treatment.

Not these days. 

So Wilson left the bar and walked north in the alley away from the Legion. In fact, court documents indicate he was “pushed” out the door. Tragically, victim Kamari Taylor and his family knew “Zay,” Wilson’s nickname, and Taylor may have been trying to help him.

If that was the case, Taylor paid for it with his life. Taylor walked “Zay” out in to the parking lot and then walked away when Isaiah fell to the ground. When Zay got up he wasn’t wearing a shirt and his jeans were down below his underwear, court documents said.

But the two either walked away together or met up later just east of downtown.

Detectives Nicholas Lichtsinn, Sgt. Matt Wilson and Detective Matt Foote collected surveillance video from the Legion and security cameras from surrounding businesses and homes. 

What the cameras found happened about 25 minutes after Wilson was pushed out of the bar - a homicide shooting at 1:51 a.m. on Monroe Street close to East Wayne Street.

“No Zay,” Taylor is heard telling Wilson. Then Taylor runs from the east side of Monroe to the west side as Wilson is seen chasing and firing at him. Wilson is the same skinny man with long braids, shirtless, his jeans below white underwear. 

When Taylor falls to the ground, Wilson stands over the victim and continues to shoot him. Wilson then flees the scene. There were reports he was at his mother’s home, court documents said.

Several hours later, at 5:40 a.m, police are called to a “man down.” What they found was Taylor on the ground with “a gunshot to his face and blood on his torso,” the affidavit reads.

During the investigation, Taylor’s sister told Martin that Wilson showed a gun on Facebook and that several people at the bar were aware that Zay had a gun.

Martin also learned that Zay’s brother had reported the night before the homicide that his .40 caliber Glock 23 with a full magazine had been stolen.

The bullets that killed Kamari Taylor were .40 caliber, court documents said.

Court documents are saying Wilson has a warrant. The Allen County Sheriff’s Department does not have a record of his arrest at this time.

The Probable Cause will keep you updated.