INDIANAPOLIS -- A 17-year-old Indiana boy will face a judge for the first time on Wednesday after his arrest Tuesday in connection with Sunday's interstate highway shootings that killed one person and injured another.

Zachariah Blanton, of Gaston, was being held in the Jackson County Jail on suspicion of shooting at two vehicles -- killing one occupant -- on Interstate 65 in southern Indiana and firing at two vehicles on I-69 in east-central Indiana's Delaware County early Sunday.

State police said someone who knew Blanton, concerned that he was involved in the shootings, contacted a Delaware County reserve sheriff's deputy on Monday. That reserve deputy then contacted the Delaware County sheriff.

Investigators pursued the lead Monday night and searched Blanton's house, where they found a rifle that they believed -- based on ammunition fragments found in the attacked vehicles -- was used in the shootings, Indiana State Police Superintendent Paul Whitesell said at a news conference.

Blanton cooperated with investigators, and authorities gathered enough information to arrest him on charges of murder, attempted murder and criminal recklessness, Whitesell said. Investigators also said that Blanton was remorseful.

When asked whether Blanton confessed, Whitesell answered: "It is my understanding that his cooperation was to such an extent that it was sufficient for probable cause, and I would call that a confession."

Whitesell declined to comment on whether investigators had information on a motive in the shootings. He said Blanton was the only suspect in the case.

Police: Shootings Began From Overpass

Police said they believe that shortly before the shootings, Blanton drove to an I-65 overpass and parked his vehicle. He then leaned across the vehicle's trunk and shot at a pickup truck passing below, fatally wounding Jerry L. Ross, 40, of New Albany at about 12:20 a.m. Sunday, police said.

Moments later, Blanton shot at another pickup truck on I-65, police said. That round grazed the ear of Robert John Otto Hartl, 25, of Iowa, but Hartl was not seriously injured, according to police.

State police said Blanton then drove to the Muncie area, where he allegedly shot at a tractor-trailer near the 42 mile marker of I-69 at about 2:30 a.m. No one was injured in that shooting.

Blanton then went a mile south and shot at a parked, unoccupied sport utility vehicle, police said.

Police said they wouldn't speculate on how the targets were chosen.

Authorities said Blanton is a student of Wes-Del High School in northwestern Delaware County. He was about to start his senior year there, 6News reported.

Police said they believe Blanton was familiar with the area where the I-65 shootings happened, having taken some hunting trips nearby.

Governor Thanks Investigators For 'Superb Police Work'

Gov. Mitch Daniels, speaking at the news conference, thanked state police and local and federal authorities for "superb police work" in the case.

"Indiana has now been spared, through the combined efforts of these outstanding professionals, the sort of fear, uncertainty and disruption that has befallen other jurisdictions elsewhere," Daniels said.

Whitesell said state, local and federal authorities were involved in the probe. Earlier in the week, state police consulted with law enforcement personnel who probed sniper shootings on I-270 near Columbus, Ohio, in late 2004 and early 2005.

Stay with 6News and TheIndyChannel.com for updates to this story.