Suspect arrested in shooting spree, Pizza X murder

A Bloomington man was arrested early Monday in connection to an area shooting spree that ended in the death of Pizza X delivery driver Adam Sarnecki.

James D. Finney, 21, is suspected in three recent crimes involving firearms, including the murder of Sarnecki, 22, Bloomington Police Chief Mike Diekhoff said during a press conference Monday.

On Oct. 31, a 60-year-old woman was shot in the thigh while taking her dog for a walk on West Ninth Street. Police found the bullet was from a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

A day earlier, a man broke into the Smoke-N-Lotto Specialty Store located on South Leonard Springs Road in rural Monroe County. He allegedly gained entry by shooting his way through the glass entry way, said Mike Pershing, chief deputy of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Sarnecki was shot shortly after midnight Friday. Police said Sarnecki told officers he witnessed someone trying to break into another employee’s vehicle behind the south side Pizza X store where he worked. Police said Sarnecki confronted the suspect, who then shot him in his right side with a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun.  
Before losing consciousness at the scene, Sarnecki provided police with a description of the shooter.

Sarnecki died from the injury at 4:40 a.m. at IU-Health Bloomington Hospital.
Beginning early Friday evening, Diekhoff said police initiated around-the-clock surveillance of Finney at his mobile home on West Lilac Lane after he was identified as a suspect. At that time, police did not have enough evidence to make an arrest, Diekhoff said, but officers considered Finney to be dangerous because of his past criminal record.

Finney has been previously charged with battery resulting in bodily injury, intimidation and theft, among minor charges.  

After obtaining a search warrant, police arrested Finney at about 3 a.m. Monday. He was booked in the Monroe County Jail at 7:23 a.m.

Finney initially denied his involvement in the shootings. He later admitted to all three crimes after police found a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun inside a dryer vent in his mobile home, Diekhoff said.

Police have not identified any connections between the spree’s two victims, and police are also unaware of any motives behind Finney’s violent actions.

Diekhoff said Finney told police he owned the handgun out of fear of being shot. The concern, he said, stems from when Finney was the victim of a shooting  when he was 19.

In 2008, Finney was shot in the chest and arm by a teenager in the 1200 block of Arlington Park Drive.

Finney is facing preliminary murder charges. He remains in jail without bond.