Crime
Fatal Shooting and Crash Outside Anderson Nightclub Leaves One Dead, Two Injured
ANDERSON, IN — A tragic incident outside an Anderson nightclub early Sunday morning resulted in the death of a 26-year-old woman and left two others injured following a shooting and subsequent vehicle-related accident.
The deceased has been identified as Dayla Swain, 26, according to the Marion County Coroner’s Office.
The Anderson Police Department (APD) responded to reports of gunfire around 3 a.m. on Sunday, February 4, at Sonny Ray’s, located at 1536 S. Madison Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers discovered that shots had been fired outside the establishment, striking two women.
Swain was found lying in the roadway near the scene, critically injured. Another female victim was located in front of a nearby residence, also suffering from gunshot wounds.
Swain was transported to a hospital in Indianapolis, where she later succumbed to her injuries. The second gunshot victim was taken to a local hospital and is currently receiving medical care.
During the chaotic aftermath of the shooting, a third woman was reportedly struck by a vehicle.
According to police, she later checked herself into a nearby hospital for treatment. Her condition has not been disclosed.
At this time, no arrests have been made, and the investigation remains active.
Detectives are working diligently to gather evidence, review surveillance footage, and interview potential witnesses.
The Anderson Police Department urges anyone with information related to this case to contact Detectives Brett Webb or Travis Thompson at (765) 648-6731. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers.
Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.
Now that court proceedings have concluded, Alexzandrea Thomas has chosen to break her silence regarding the years of abuse she endured at the hands of her biological father, Kenneth Cook, who was recently arrested and charged in a high-profile case out of MacArthur, West Virginia.
Cook faces multiple felony charges including sexual abuse by a parent or custodian, third-degree sexual assault, child neglect, and three counts of incest, following a lengthy investigation into the abuse that resulted in the birth of three children.
In a personal statement shared after the trial, Thomas expressed both relief and frustration, addressing the ongoing inquiries and messages she has received since the case became public.
“I’m only speaking out now because I’m overwhelmed with messages, and I want people to understand the truth,” Thomas said. “I reported him repeatedly since I was 9 years old, but no one believed me. My grandmother worked closely with Child Protective Services, and she convinced everyone I was lying.”
She went on to describe a childhood marked by isolation, fear, and ongoing manipulation. “When my grandfather found out, he didn’t even look surprised. The last time I confided in a school guidance counselor, CPS got involved—but once again, my grandmother suppressed the investigation. My father told me if I ever spoke out again, he knew how to make me disappear.”
Thomas said she was denied access to a phone, vehicle, and outside relationships, and that her father intentionally kept her from contact with her mother’s side of the family. “When he realized I was growing close to a neighbor, he threatened to shoot him and made sure I left the room whenever that neighbor came over. He did everything in his power to silence me.”
One of the most distressing parts of her statement involved the birth of her youngest child, who was born with health complications. “My baby spent the first week of his life in the hospital but was denied further medical care afterward,” she said. “I was trying to care for a very sick baby on my own, with no support and no access to healthcare, because he feared the truth would come out.”
The criminal case against Cook was initiated after medical personnel at Charleston Area Medical Center raised concerns about severe malnourishment in the youngest child, who at one year old weighed only six pounds.
Genetic testing subsequently confirmed that the children were the result of a first-degree incestuous relationship between Cook and Thomas.
“I already know he’s a monster—I lived with him. I survived him,” she said. “You don’t know how many times I thought about ending my life, because it felt like it would never stop.”
Thomas ended her statement with a plea for privacy. “To those who are sorry, I appreciate your compassion. To those defending him, stay away from me. I will never forget or forgive what he did, but I’m trying—every day—to heal.”
Kenneth Cook remains in custody at the Southern Regional Jail on a $500,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing.