A quiet Thursday night at a neighborhood park in Crawfordsville turned deadly when gunfire erupted during what investigators say was an apparent drug deal, leaving 31-year-old Kaleb Isabell of Rockville dead and two teenagers now facing serious criminal charges.
Police say the shooting happened around 9:55 p.m. at Milligan Park on Mill Street. Officers, firefighters and emergency medics rushed to the scene after a call reporting that someone had been shot. When they arrived, they found Isabell inside a silver Volkswagen Passat suffering from gunshot wounds.
Paramedics tried desperately to save him, but the injuries were too severe. Isabell died shortly afterward, leaving investigators to piece together what exactly unfolded in the darkened park.
According to court documents, a woman who was inside the car with Isabell told officers that a man approached the vehicle and greeted him before climbing onto the hood of the car. She said the man began counting cash there on the hood while the two appeared to exchange money for drugs.
Moments later, the situation spiraled out of control. The witness told police she suddenly heard several gunshots. She said she then saw the man run away from the car as Isabell lay wounded inside the vehicle.
Detectives later identified the suspected shooter as 18-year-old Draco Allen Lee Farris-Clark of Crawfordsville. Investigators tracked him down at a Long John Silver’s restaurant parking lot in Crawfordsville, where he was found sitting in a red Chevrolet Equinox.
Police detained Farris-Clark along with two other people while they secured search warrants for cell phones, the vehicle and other possible evidence connected to the shooting.
Farris-Clark was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on preliminary charges of murder and armed robbery in connection with Isabell’s death. A second suspect, 18-year-old Zayden Michael White, was also arrested and charged with armed robbery conspiracy to commit resulting in death. His bond was set at $6,000.
Investigators closed Milligan Park overnight while detectives processed the scene and searched for evidence. The park reopened Friday afternoon, but authorities say the investigation is still ongoing as they continue to gather information about the deadly encounter.
