Inset: Austen Wable (Delaware County Jail). Background: The IHOP where Wable allegedly opened fire (Google Maps).
A 28‑year‑old Indiana man stands accused of discharging a gun inside an IHOP while accusing a cook of sleeping with his wife, then leading police on a high‑speed chase that culminated in a crash into a brick house.
Austen Geoffery Leigh Wable now faces six preliminary felony charges: shooting a firearm into an inhabited building, intimidation with a deadly weapon, unlawful carrying of a handgun, pointing a firearm, resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, according to court records.
Muncie Police Department officers responded to the IHOP at the 3300 block of North Chadam Lane on Oct. 8 after a caller reported a man had entered the restaurant armed and opened fire. The caller said the incident began when the suspect accused a cook of having sex with his wife, WXIN reported.
First responders discovered a firearm on the premises along with a single shell casing, WTHR noted.
An employee who tried to intervene described Wable as “extremely drunk.” The employee told investigators that Wable shoved the cook while shouting, “You f,ed my b, bro.” He then pointed a handgun at the cook, prompting the employee to leap in and attempt to seize the weapon.
During the struggle, the gun discharged, WXIN reported. The employee believes Wable was shot, noting a hole in the back of Wable’s pants and recalling Wable saying, “I’m leaking.” Wable fled the scene shortly thereafter in his wife’s SUV.
Police located the SUV and attempted a traffic stop, but Wable allegedly accelerated away as soon as squad cars appeared.
Reaching speeds exceeding 110 mph, Wable weaved through traffic, drove on the wrong side of the road, and even sent the SUV airborne, nearly colliding with oncoming vehicles.
The chase ended when Wable crashed into a two‑story brick house. He stumbled out of the vehicle, appearing disoriented, according to police notes.
Officers deployed a Taser to subdue Wable after he ignored their commands, WXIN reported. WTHR added that officers could not converse with him at the scene because of his intoxication.
In addition to the felonies, Wable faces two misdemeanor charges for resisting police and driving with a suspended license, court records show.
After taking him into custody, officers confirmed Wable had a gunshot wound and transported him to a local hospital for treatment.
Court documents reveal that Wable was convicted in 2021 of carrying a handgun without a license, a conviction that barred him from possessing a firearm.
Wable remains in the Delaware County Jail without bond and is slated for an initial hearing on Oct. 19.
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