PEKIN — A 33-year-old Pekin man is being held on a $1 million cash bond after prosecutors filed a sprawling list of felony charges—including attempted murder and illegal machine gun offenses—following a domestic dispute, a driveway shooting, and a multi-county police pursuit early Monday morning.
Aaron Scott Wilson Thornberry remains incarcerated at the Washington County Jail as the Indiana State Police Sellersburg Post continues its investigation into the July 26 incident.
According to investigators, the violent sequence began around 10:46 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, 2026, when Washington County Sheriff’s deputies and Indiana State Police troopers were dispatched to a home on East Blankenbaker Road near Pekin.
Initial reports indicated an altercation had taken place between Thornberry and a woman at the residence, leaving her with visible injuries. As a second woman arrived at the home in her vehicle shortly after the initial fight, Thornberry allegedly opened fire, striking her as she pulled into the driveway. The shooting victim was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital. The battery victim was transported to Ascension Saint Vincent in Salem.
Thornberry fled the scene in a black Ford Explorer before law enforcement arrived. Detective Travis Baker of the Indiana State Police was assigned as lead investigator at the request of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.
High-Speed Pursuit Across Four Counties
Shortly after the shooting, a Scott County officer spotted Thornberry’s Ford Explorer traveling along State Road 56 in Scott County. When officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Thornberry refused to pull over, initiating a high-speed chase that stretched across Scott, Jefferson, and Clark counties.
Despite troopers and local officers deploying tire-deflating “stop sticks” during the chase, Thornberry continued driving. The pursuit finally ended on State Road 62 near Marble Hill Road in Clark County after Trooper Jason Riley executed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver, forcing the Explorer into a roadside ditch. Thornberry was taken into custody without further incident.
Multi-County Pursuit Timeline & Route
- Initial Sight: State Road 56 (Scott County)
- Counties Involved: Scott, Jefferson, and Clark Counties
- Tactics Used: Stop sticks (Scott & Jefferson) + PIT Maneuver (Clark)
- Termination Site: State Road 62 at Marble Hill Road (Clark County)
Updated List of Felony Charges
Following his arrest and preliminary booking, prosecutors formally updated the list of criminal charges against Thornberry to include:
- Two counts of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony
- Burglary, a Level 2 felony
- Criminal confinement, a Level 3 felony
- Operating a loaded machine gun, a Level 4 felony
- Possession of a machine gun, a Level 5 felony
- Two counts of intimidation, a Level 5 felony
- Domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony
- Domestic battery resulting in bodily injury to a person under 14, a Level 5 felony
- Domestic battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, a Level 6 felony
- Criminal recklessness, a Level 6 felony
- Pointing a firearm, a Level 6 felony
- Residential entry, a Level 6 felony
Multiple agencies assisted in the emergency response, investigation, and pursuit, including the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Scott County Sheriff’s Department, Scottsburg Police Department, Austin Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Charlestown Police Department, and Clark County Sheriff’s Department.
State police noted the investigation remains active and ongoing.
