Owner of Indy event space speaks after mass shooting leaves 1 dead, 9 injured
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The owner of Well Branded Space Rentals in Indianapolis says nothing like Sunday’s mass shooting has ever happened during an event at the spaces she manages.
Takhaia told News 8 that the event space on East 65th Street was initially rented out for an above-board event but was overrun by party crashers who did not have permission to be on the property. She says she has been “taken aback” by the violence that left a 16-year-old girl dead and nine others injured.
She says the person who initially rented the space was 19 years old and had followed her policy against hosting an event with minors.
The event was a costume contest and dance competition. It was quickly overrun by people who weren’t invited. Takhaia says many of the party crashers were minors and some of them were armed.
“People need to get a grip on their kids because apparently these are minors that they were not permitted to be there,” Takhaia said.
Takhaia alleges the shooter opened fire when he was not allowed inside because he was wearing a ski mask.
“He was not in an altercation prior to this,” Takhaia said. “There was no verbal altercation. There was no physical altercation. He began firing because he was asked to take off his mask.”
News 8 obtained video of the alleged party crashers, but because the video shows minors and uses profanities, only blurred screenshots of the subjects can be shared.
In the video, someone is heard saying, “We aren’t even supposed to have them here,” likely in reference to the gun that is being pointed at the camera.
Now, Takhaia says the futures of her event rental business and beauty services business, Beauty Club LLC, are in jeopardy because she is locked out of all three spaces where she has active leases. It is unclear what the future holds for her or others who provide services in that space.
News 8 once again reached out to the building owner and landlord, Art Boyle, after an unidentified person answered the phone and declined to comment previously. The person who answered the phone declined to comment.
