Documents: Gun used in July fatal shooting belonged to suspect's ex-girlfriend

A handgun used in a fatal shooting on Indianapolis’ south side in July may have been stolen from the suspect’s ex-girlfriend.

Jeremy Rico Etheridge, 40, was arrested on a warrant in Union City, Tennessee, in connection with the death of Sean Nailor, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Nailor, 43, was shot and killed inside an apartment in the 8000 block of McFarland Court around 3 a.m. July 26, according to IMPD.

Paramedics found Nailor on the living room floor of the apartment with gunshot wounds. They were called to the scene by a man who refused to say what the emergency was, according to a probable cause affidavit for Etheridge’s arrest.

Previous coverage: Man arrested in Tennessee in connection to July fatal shooting on Indianapolis' south side

More: Indianapolis police investigating after man found fatally shot on south side

Nailor was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital. Investigators found a handgun underneath the couch in the living room of Etheridge’s apartment, according to the affidavit.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives traced the Taurus 9mm to a woman who purchased it in February 2020 and told investigators she is Etheridge’s ex-girlfriend, according to the affidavit.

The woman told investigators she has a child with Etheridge and that he often went to her apartment when she was not home to visit their son. She said she kept the gun on her closet shelf and that Etheridge could have stolen it while visiting their son, according to the affidavit.

The woman told police she did not realize the gun was missing, according to the affidavit.

A few days before Nailor was killed, one of Etheridge’s neighbors saw him firing a handgun into the air several times, according to the affidavit.

A spent cartridge case was found by investigators outside the apartment in the grass, according to the affidavit.

Etheridge told paramedics that Nailor was shot through walls of the apartment then told police that the shooter was a friend who came over to the apartment with Nailor. He appeared to be intoxicated when he was interviewed by detectives on the morning of the shooting, according to the affidavit.

Investigators collected DNA from Etheridge on the day of the shooting before releasing him, court documents stated.

That DNA was used to connect him to the handgun and investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Etheridge on Dec. 20. The IMPD Violent Crimes Unit worked with the U.S. Marshals Service to locate Etheridge in Tennessee and he surrendered to authorities, according to IMPD.

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis crime: Gun used to kill Sean Nailor traced to suspect's ex