Man shoots pregnant estranged wife in the back because he was mad the baby was not his

A 36-year-old Indiana man, Jeremy McBride, has been arrested after authorities say he shot his estranged wife, Kayla Netherland, who was five months pregnant. The shooting left Netherland, 25, seriously injured and caused the death of her unborn child.

The incident occurred Sunday evening around 6 p.m. in the 700 block of East Pleasant Run Parkway, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Responding officers found Netherland in the bathroom suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was rushed to a hospital where doctors were able to stabilize her, but they could not save the baby.

According to an affidavit, a friend of Netherland’s arrived at the home shortly after the shooting to do laundry and found McBride standing over Netherland’s injured body. Without speaking, McBride walked out of the house. The friend later told police she believed he was responsible for the attack.

Authorities located McBride using license plate readers and pulled him over. When he exited the vehicle, the car rolled into a pole because it had not been placed in park.

McBride admitted he was planning to turn himself in and informed officers the firearm used in the shooting was inside the car. He also asked, “Is she okay?” Police reported recovering the gun, as well as handwritten notes McBride had addressed to Netherland.

In the notes, McBride expressed anger and frustration over Netherland’s alleged infidelity and their failed relationship. He also wrote about his insecurities, his belief that he was not the kind of person she would want to have children with, and his desire to have a family with her.

During a post-Miranda interview, McBride admitted to purchasing a gun and ammunition days before the shooting, intending to kill Netherland, her unborn child and himself. He stated that while spending time with Netherland earlier that day—shopping at Goodwill and later talking at her home—he decided to shoot her.

According to McBride, he was sitting on her bed while she stood in the bathroom when he fired five shots into her back, claiming it “made sense in that moment.”

Detectives noted McBride had been upset that Netherland, though not yet divorced from him, was pregnant by another man. Their marriage had ended in separation the previous September, but McBride had still hoped for reconciliation. In one note, he wrote, “Maybe she will come back one day, but not for me. But in many ways, I killed her.”

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Netherland has undergone multiple surgeries, including one to address internal injuries and another to remove the fetus. She remains hospitalized. Meanwhile, McBride is being held without bond at the Marion County Jail and faces charges of attempted murder and feticide.

“Certainly, what is alleged is this person went to great lengths to carry out what he intended to do,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said.