2 southern Indiana men in custody after fatal shooting led to standoff at Paoli gas station

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two homicide suspects were arrested in southern Indiana Saturday after an hours-long standoff at a gas station.

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office initially said around 5:30 a.m., officers responded to the 4000 block of Fort Ritner Road on a reported shooting.

Police found the victim, 21-year-old Kobe Stancombe of Bedford, deceased from a gunshot wound.

Indiana State Police Dispatch received a call from Lawrence County Dispatch about two suspects wanted in connection to the homicide.

Multiple agencies responded to the area and shortly after 12:30 p.m., Paoli Police found the suspect's vehicle as he pulled into the Huck's Gas Station in Paoli.

According to the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office, the driver, 39-year-old Bradley Harper of Bedford, surrendered and was taken into custody but the passenger, 38-year-old Casey Brown of Ft. Ritner, refused to exit the vehicle which began an hours-long standoff.

Multiple police agencies responded to the scene as negotiations began. They used pepper balls and gas canisters but Brown displayed a firearm and refused to surrender, police said.

Brown then shot himself and officers were able to remove him from the vehicle and administered life-saving measures.

He was taken to IU Health before being flown to UofL Hospital. No other firearms, other than less than lethal guns, were discharged in the standoff.

Harper was taken to Lawrence County for questioning while Brown remains in custody at the hospital for murder and attempted murder charges. His condition is unknown at this time.

The investigation continues but police said Brown, Harper, Stancombe and an unidentified female all knew each other and were in the vehicle together when the shooting took place.

Police said it's believed the female was shot at multiple times as she left the vehicle.