Anderson police arrest one teen, search for another after murder
ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) – Detectives are looking for a teenager in connection with the Thursday night murder of 18-year-old Shaolin Newsom.
Police are calling 17-year-old Jalen Brown of Marion, Indiana a “person of interest.” An Anderson Police Department spokesman declined to say exactly how Brown is connected to the crime, but police believe he was at the scene of the shooting near 21st Street and Nelle Street.
Officers arrested one person Friday morning after another 17-year-old turned himself in, according to police. Detectives believe he drove a car used in the shooting.
Friday afternoon, people spray painted messages in the street where Newsom was shot. One message read “RIP brother.”
People standing near the spray-painted street said police told them not to speak to reporters.
Bettie May runs a daycare out of her home less than a block away. She said she heard three shots while toddlers played outside her home.
“I just began calling the kids’ name to come inside. Then I look over, surveying the area, and I saw this young man lying on the ground across the street,” May said.
May said some of the toddlers saw the body too.
“They asked me, is he okay? What’s wrong with him? I couldn’t answer because I didn’t know,” May said.
She’s calling on city leaders to introduce more programs to keep kids off the streets. May said she’s not sure if she’ll feel comfortable letting kids at her daycare play outside in the future.
“Anderson, as a whole, we need to come together and really flood prayer. We need to really pray,” she said.
Anyone with information on the shooting can call the Anderson Police Department at 765-648-6654.
The Anderson Community School Corporation released this statement:
The news of the death of 2016 Anderson High School graduate, Shaolin “Tyreek” Newsom, evoked grief among the Anderson Community School Corporation community. Counselors and staff were available throughout the day on Friday at various locations throughout the corporation in order to meet the needs of grieving students and staff. Anderson Community Schools would like to convey our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Tyreek Newsom during this difficult time.
