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Former Indiana congressional candidate's arrest connected to online intimidation, per new documents • Indiana Capital Chronicle

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Former Indiana congressional candidate's arrest connected to online intimidation, per new documents • Indiana Capital Chronicle


Newly-unsealed court documents reveal a former Hoosier congressional candidate’s arrest and ongoing criminal case are connected to allegations of online threats and harassment he made against Indianapolis-based political commentator Abdul-Hakim Shabazz 

Gabriel “Gabe” Whitley was arrested on a felony charge in August after Indianapolis police received a complaint that he was “stalking” Shabazz on social media, according to a probable cause affidavit. 

Shabazz, who made the report, said he was covering an FBI search warrant of Whitley’s home when the former political candidate “began encouraging violence against him by way of X (Twitter) posts,” the affidavit said.

Police claim Whitley’s posts included statements like “shooting him like a pig” and called for “national law enforcement” to raid Shabazz’s house. Shabazz — who has a prior history of civil litigation against Whitley — said he was “unsure” of what Whitley “is capable of doing,” and further expressed concern for his safety, as well as that of his “family, wife and other loved ones” at the Shabazz residence.

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The affidavit alleges Whitley publicly posted a picture of Shabazz’s residence and personal vehicle on social media.

Another photograph allegedly shared online by Whitley depicts a graphic, bloody image of Thomas Crooks, who was shot and killed after he carried out an assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump this summer. “The Secret Service missed (Abdul),” the post said and then gave his address, according to photos in the affidavit. 

Detectives indicated in the affidavit they confirmed that Whitley owned the X account @realhonestgabe shortly after speaking with Shabazz, prompting them to apply for a search warrant.

Police said, too, the email account tied to Whitley’s X account was the same used in his candidacy filings. 

The address and photo Whitley is accused of posting online were also confirmed to be connected to Shabazz, according to the affidavit.

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Indiana congressional candidate faces campaign finance scrutiny

It’s not clear why the court documents were originally under wraps. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office filed for the case to be sealed in early August. The office then sought to reverse that seal last week, and the request was granted by the Marion Superior Court judge presiding over the case.

The FBI searched Whitley’s Indianapolis home in July, but the agency has remained quiet about its investigation, IndyStar reported. Bobby Kern, who also lives at the home and previously ran for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, told the newspaper that agents confiscated Whitley’s electronic devices during their search.

After his arrest, Whitley was released on bail and placed on GPS monitoring, pending further court action. He currently faces a felony intimidation charge, which carries a maximum penalty of two-and-a-half years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Whitley did not respond to the Indiana Capital Chronicle’s request for comment about the FBI search or recent court filings.

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Whitley ran in the Republican primary in Indiana’s 7th Congressional District but lost to Jennifer Pace — even though she died after filing her candidacy and before the primary. A GOP caucus has since selected John Schmitz as her replacement on the ballot.

Previously, Whitley declared his candidacy for Evansville mayor in 2022 only to drop that campaign six months later.

The Capital Chronicle reported earlier this year that complaints filed with the Indiana Election Division and the Federal Election Commission accused Whitley’s “Honest Gabe for Congress” committee of excessive campaign contributions and fraudulent donors during his congressional run.

Before that, the Evansville Courier & Press reported Whitley had raised thousands from donors who said they’d never heard from him. 

A report filed by the Honest Gabe committee filed with the FEC in July claimed the organization had just more than $329,597 in cash on hand between the reporting period covering January through the end of March, which included a $100,000 “loan” Whitley claims to have made to himself, in addition to an earlier $20,000 loan.

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The agency requested additional campaign finance information from Whitley and his Honest Gabe for Congress to “clarify whether or not the candidate used personal funds or borrowed the money from a lending institution or some other source.” A separate letter sent to Whitley in August directed him to “disavow” any personal contributions his 2024 campaign received in excess of the $5,000 limit.

It remains unclear whether the FBI’s investigation is connected to Whitley’s campaign finances, or if separate charges will be filed.

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Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark

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Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark


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PHOENIX — The Indiana Fever barely eked out of Mortgage Matchup Arena with a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night on the second night of a back-to-back.

Caitlin Clark (rest) did not play after making her return on a minutes restriction on Wednesday against Los Angeles. Aliyah Boston, who missed the game against L.A. for precautionary reasons, finished with 19 points and eight rebounds against the Mercury.

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Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting, adding on eight assists. She hit the game-winning layup with 10 seconds left. Tyasha Harris finished with 15 points and five assists, including a stretch of nine of 11 Fever points to close the gap.

Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas had 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Kahleah Copper added 22 points and five rebounds.

Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.

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What I liked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury

  • Early 3-point shooting: One of Boston’s main focuses this offseason was improving her 3-point shot, and it’s coming to fruition. She made two 3-pointers in the first quarter, helping lead the Fever to six total makes beyond the arc in the opening 10-minute period. Harris, starting in place of Clark, had two 3-pointers in the first quarter, as well, with Lexie Hull and Mitchell each making one. At the time, it was big for the Fever to maintain a lead.
  • Roaring back in the third quarter: Basketball is a game of runs, and the Fever embodied that. They led by 12 in the first, then trailed by four at halftime, then went on a 20-9 run over seven minutes in the third quarter to take a one-point lead by the end of the third. Mitchell was the one to lead that comeback, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting along with three assists in that quarter. The third was crucial for the Fever not just to get back into the lead, but, especially on a back-to-back, to try and have the mental fortitude to close the game out.
  • Tyasha Harris coming in clutch: Harris’ role has expanded since Clark has been out (or limited), and she is making the most of her minutes. She scored nine points in the fourth quarter alone, including a 3-pointer with three minutes left to take the lead, then four straight points to give the Fever the lead again with 44 seconds left. She finished the game with 15 points and five assists, being the facilitator the Fever need while Clark recovers.

What I disliked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury

  • Second-quarter slide: For the second straight game, the Fever held a double-digit lead in the first quarter then were trailing by halftime. The Fever allowed the Mercury to shoot 12 of 20 from the field in the second quarter (and 5 of 8 from 3-point range), completely negating the Fever’s six 3-pointers from the first quarter. Phoenix went on a 12-2 run over the final three minutes of the quarter, too, taking advantage of the Fever’s off the mark shots.
  • Silly mistakes: In a close game like this, every possession matters. And every mistake compounds. The Fever had a few in the second half, including a shot-clock violation from Harris where she wasn’t even in shooting motion yet, a defensive three-seconds foul from Aliyah Boston, a backcourt violation from Kelsey Mitchell, and another shot clock violation from Raven Johnson to start the fourth quarter. All of those mistakes gives Phoenix extra points or extra possessions. While the Fever ultimately won the game, it made it closer than it needed to be.

What the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury means

Indiana (13-9) is a strong team offensively, but recently, the Fever haven’t been able to get out of their own way on defense. It showed in the runs they gave up to Phoenix, flip-flopping the lead and forcing the Fever to continue to play from behind. It worked out for Indiana this time around, finding what they needed when they needed it, but it won’t be sustainable long term.

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.



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Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting

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Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — A Bloomington man was arrested Wednesday in Indianapolis on an attempted murder charge after police say he fired seven to eight rounds into a white GMC SUV occupied by three adults and four children last month in Bloomington before fleeing the area.

A news release issued Thursday from the Bloomington Police Department said members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s special weapons and tactics team took Kafern P. Johnson, 32, into custody near the intersection of West 84th Street and Allison Avenue in Indianapolis without incident.

The arrest came more than two weeks after the June 23 shooting in the 1000 block of North Summit Street. That’s in a residential area next to Crestmont Park in Bloomington.

Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch received 911 calls at 7:41 p.m. June 23 reporting gunfire in the area.

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Responding patrol officers and detectives determined Johnson had fired into the SUV following a verbal fight with the vehicle’s driver. Police said the dispute stemmed from an argument over a relationship.

No injuries were reported despite the number of people inside the vehicle.

Following his arrest, Johnson was taken to an IMPD facility for questioning and later booked into the Marion County jail. On Thursday morning, he was booked into the Monroe County jail.

The release said Johnson could face felony charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a firearm, and pointing a firearm. No formal charges have yet been filed, according to online court records.

Bloomington police asked anyone with additional information to call 812-349-3324.

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FAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME

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FAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME


Fairfield native, David K. Wells, 69, and his wife Aileen, were found dead inside their home in Newburgh, Indiana, Monday night. Warrick County Sheriff Michael Wilder said that deputies responded to the residence just before 8:00 p.m. after dispatch received a call around 7:40 p.m. from a friend of the family requesting a welfare check. When officers didn’t get an answer at the door, they entered through the back of the home and found the couple deceased. Officers cleared the home and waited for detectives to arrive. Investigators also obtained a search warrant to do a further examination of the residence. Authorities were able to notify family members and conduct interviews to gather additional information. Sheriff Wilder said investigators believe the couple had been dead for less than 24 hours before they were found. He also said there is no indication of any forced entry or an intruder. Sheriff Wilder has not made a formal determination as to what happened. Autopsies for the couple were scheduled for yesterday morning to help determine a cause. David Wells grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1975. He had a long career in television commercial production in Evansville and had more recently operated the Cigar! Cigar! tobacco store in Evansville.



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