Indiana man charged after gun incident at Muncie IHOP and 110 mph chase
A 28-year-old Muncie, Indiana man, Austen Wable, was arrested after a gun was fired in an IHOP, where he accused a cook of sleeping with his wife. Police say he then chased the cook with a knife, led them on a 110 mph pursuit and crashed into a house.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Austen Wable, 28, was arrested in Muncie, Indiana, after an incident at an IHOP restaurant on Thursday in which he accused a cook of having sex with his wife. The IndependentLC “A 28-year-old Indiana man is accused of firing a gun inside an IHOP while confronting the cook about sleeping with his wife” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “Austen Wable, 28, charged into the pancake house chain’s eatery in Muncie on Thursday” Read at New York Post ↗ Left · 1Police were sent to the restaurant on a report of a man with a gun; a 911 caller said Wable had entered and begun accusing a cook of sleeping with his wife. The IndependentLC “Authorities in Muncie, about 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis, were dispatched to an IHOP Thursday afternoon after receiving reports of a man with a gun.” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2An employee who intervened described Wable as "extremely drunk" and said he pushed the cook while shouting an expletive-laden accusation about the cook and his wife. The IndependentLC “An IHOP employee who allegedly de-escalated the situation described Wable as “extremely drunk.”” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “shouted as he pushed the kitchen worker” Read at New York Post ↗
Mixed · 2According to the Independent's account of the report, the employee said Wable pointed a handgun at the cook, and the gun went off as the employee tried to take it; the employee believed Wable accidentally shot himself in the leg. The New York Post likewise says the gun discharged and left Wable with a leg wound, and quotes him shouting "I'm leaking". The IndependentLC “The weapon went off as the two fought over it, according to the report.” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “Wable allegedly pointed his gun at the cook but it discharged, leaving him with a gunshot wound in the leg.” Read at New York Post ↗ Left · 1Officers found a firearm sitting on a post and a shell casing next to it. The IndependentLC “they found a firearm sitting on a post and a shell casing next to it” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2Wable then allegedly chased the cook into the parking lot with a knife; the Post notes it is unclear whether he entered the restaurant carrying the knife. The IndependentLC “Wable began chasing the cook with a knife into the parking lot” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “It’s unclear whether he entered the restaurant armed with the blade.” Read at New York Post ↗
Mixed · 2He fled in a car, described by the Post as his wife's Buick Enclave SUV, and sped away when police tried a traffic stop, reaching over 110 mph, weaving through traffic and driving on the wrong side of the road, according to court documents. The IndependentLC “Authorities said Wable reached speeds of over 110 mph, weaved through traffic and drove on the wrong side of the road.” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “A furious Wable left the restaurant in his wife’s Buick Enclave SUV” Read at New York Post ↗ Mixed · 2The chase ended when he crashed into a two-story brick house. Officers said he did not follow commands and was tased, and could not be questioned because of his intoxication; the Post says he stumbled and seemed disoriented after leaving the SUV, and that his gunshot wound was treated. The IndependentLC “the pursuit ended when Wable crashed into a two-story brick house”“Wable failed to listen to commands and had to be tased.” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “He “began stumbling to his right” and seemed “disoriented” after getting out of the SUV” Read at New York Post ↗ Mixed · 2The Independent reports six preliminary felony charges: criminal recklessness, intimidation, unlawful carrying of a handgun, pointing a firearm, resisting law enforcement and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The Post reports three Level 5 felonies: shooting a firearm into an inhabited building, intimidation with a deadly weapon, and unlawful carrying of a handgun, noting a single Level 5 felony carries a maximum of six years in prison. The IndependentLC “He was arrested on six preliminary felony charges.” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “three Level 5 felonies – shooting a firearm into an inhabited building, intimidation with a deadly weapon, and unlawful carrying of a handgun” Read at New York Post ↗
Mixed · 2Wable was convicted in 2021 of carrying a handgun without a license, which bars him from carrying a firearm. The Independent says he is held without bond at Delaware County Jail, with an initial hearing due October 19. The IndependentLC “Wable was convicted in 2021 of carrying a handgun without a license, which prohibits him from carrying a firearm now.”“Wable is being held at the Delaware County Jail without bond, court records show. He is due for an initial hearing on October 19.” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “Wable had previously been convicted in 2021 of carrying a gun without a license.” Read at New York Post ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Sober crime report leading on the arrest and the alleged motive, relying on the police report and court documents via WTHR and Law & Crime.
- Emphasis
- The employee's de-escalation, the scuffle over the gun, the full list of six charges, the no-bond detention and the October 19 hearing.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the wife's Buick SUV, the 'I'm leaking' quote or the sentencing exposure.
- For example
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“An employee told investigators that Austen Wable pushed the cook while yelling, ‘You f***** my b**** bro’” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Tabloid-style, dramatic account calling Wable an 'Indiana gunman' who 'stormed' in, citing court documents and WXIN.
- Emphasis
- Vivid detail: the 'I'm leaking' quote, the car nearly going airborne, the wife's SUV, and prison exposure for Level 5 felonies.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the tasing, the intervening employee, the no-bond detention or the hearing date; lists fewer charges.
- Charged language
- “gunman”“stormed”“enraged”“furious”
- For example
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“An Indiana gunman stormed into an IHOP restaurant accusing a cook of having sex with his wife” — New York Post
What every side reports
- Austen Wable, 28, was involved in a confrontation at a Muncie, Indiana IHOP on Thursday.
- He accused a cook of having sex with his wife and pushed the cook while allegedly drunk.
- A gun went off, leaving Wable with a leg wound.
- He allegedly chased the cook with a knife in the parking lot.
- He led police on a chase at around 110 mph that ended in a crash into a house.
- He had a 2021 conviction for carrying a handgun without a license.
Where accounts differ
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Charges Wable faces
- Left
- The Independent lists six preliminary felony charges, including criminal recklessness, pointing a firearm, resisting law enforcement and drunk driving.
- Right
- The New York Post lists three Level 5 felonies: shooting into an inhabited building, intimidation with a deadly weapon, and unlawful carrying of a handgun.
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How the gun was fired
- Left
- Says the gun went off as the employee and Wable fought over it, and the employee believed Wable accidentally shot himself.
- Right
- Says Wable fired his weapon before turning to the cook, then the gun discharged when he pointed it at the cook.
Left1 article
-
Suspect arrested after confronting IHOP cook he believed was having an affair with his wife
Neutral Straightforward procedural report of the incident, attributing details to the employee, court documents and local outlets.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
Mixed Dramatic, colourful retelling that casts Wable as an 'enraged gunman' while attributing facts to court documents.
- 13 Oct 21:29 First The IndependentLC Suspect arrested after confronting IHOP cook he believed was having an affair with his wife
- 14 Oct 09:05 +11h 36m New York PostR Indiana gunman accuses IHOP cook of having sex with his wife before chasing him with knife: court docs
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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