2 teens connected to 5 attempted murders on city’s east side
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrested two suspects in connection to a murder, attempted murder and several robberies.
According to police, officers were sent to the 3300 block of Robson Street on July 19 around 12 a.m. after reports of a suspicious vehicle. When officers arrived, they found a male and female suffering from gunshot wounds. When medics arrived on scene, they pronounced the male victim dead, and transported the female victim to the hospital in critical condition. She is still at the hospital and in critical condition.
Police said while they were still on scene in the 3300 block of Robson Street, an officer was approached by a woman who said she had been robbed on July 18 around 11 p.m. by 16-year-old Zion Smith and 18-year-old Jaquisha Love. The female said she was robbed at gunpoint and shot at near the 3500 block of East 10th Street.
According to police, the victim said Love had reached out to her and asked if she wanted to hang out. She said when they met up, Love had Smith with her. While they were walking, Smith and her started talking about guns. She told Smith she owned a gun, and he asked if she would sell the gun to him. She told him no, but then showed him the gun after he asked to see it. Smith then demanded she give him the gun and fired a shot near her foot. Smith then demanded everything out of her pocket, but she refused and took off running back into her home unharmed.
On July 19, about three hours after a male and female were found suffering from gunshot wounds, police were sent to the 1400 block of North Wallace Avenue around 3:35 a.m. to investigate a person shot. When officers arrived, a person from inside came out of the door uninjured and said, “They shot them!” Police then went inside the home and found a male victim on the living room floor suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach. He was transported to a nearby hospital and listed in serious condition. Two other victims were found in the hallway of the home bleeding. One had a gunshot wound to the left forearm, left thigh, right middle finger and thumb. The other victim had a gunshot wound to the right hip and was transported to the hospital.
On the same day just after 4:16 a.m., officers were called to the 4000 block of East 12th Street after reports of a person shot. Police identified the person as Zion Smith. He had a gunshot wound to the right eye. Jaquisha Love was found with him and said she and Smith were walking near 1100 Rural Street, when they heard a gunshot and Smith was injured. Smith was transported to the hospital.
Police arrested Love after finding her to be in possession of cocaine. She was transported to to the homicide office to answer questions. She denied going back to the woman’s home who said she was robbed at gunpoint and shot at on July 18. Love also denied being with Smith during the other incidents.
After Smith was released from the hospital, he was also interviewed. When asked what he remembered when he was shot, he said he remembered walking down the alley and seeing a flash, then was hit in the eye. After the interview ended, Smith was arrested for robbery and attempted murder. Smith was then transported to the Juvenile Detention Center.
Smith and Love are both charged with one count of murder, five counts of attempted murder, one count of armed robbery, and one count of carrying a handgun without a license. Love was also charged with possession of narcotics.