Man arrested in connection with August shooting near UofL campus

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Police have arrested a man in connection with a shooting in August near the University of Louisville.

Nicholas Ballenger, 22, was arrested Wednesday and charged with attempted murder and kidnapping with serious physical injury.

Police said the shooting happened around 9:20 a.m. on Aug. 11 in the area of South 4th Street, near UofL, where a man was found with gunshot wounds. LMPD said the man was taken to University of Louisville Hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening.

According to court documents, Ballenger forced the victim down an alley at gunpoint and shot him multiple times.

Before the shooting, police believe Ballenger and the victim were walking together near UofL's campus. When they got to the 2900 block of Finn Avenue, the suspect pulled out a gun, pointed it at the victim and demanded that he continue walking.

The victim complied, police said, but once they reached Heywood Avenue in the area, the victim "lunged" towards Ballenger in an attempt to take the handgun from him. That's when police said Ballenger fired the gun, shooting the victim multiple times before fleeing the area on foot.

Police said the victim was able to run to a nearby restaurant for help after the shooting. He was taken to UofL Hospital where he was rushed into surgery.

Investigators were able to obtain surveillance footage from the area that showed the shooting in its entirety, according to court documents, which led them to identify Ballenger as a suspect. Police said they went to his last known address in an attempt to talk to him, but he no longer lived there.

Police said the detective was told by family members of Ballenger that they were trying to get him to turn himself in after seeing a social media post by LMPD asking for help finding Ballenger.

Ballenger was arrested on a warrant Wednesday and booked into Metro Corrections in downtown Louisville.

He appeared in arraignment court Thursday morning where he was appointed a public defender and pleaded not guilty. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim or UofL's campus. He also cannot use or possess a firearm or any other weapon.

Ballenger's bond was set at $500,000 cash. His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 6.