Fatal shooting at Chuck E. Cheese: ‘All the kids saw it, heard it’
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — People inside a Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurant described “chaos,” with adults rushing children to the floor and many kids crying, as shots rang out Sunday afternoon and killed a man.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office on Monday night identified him as Anthony Tinnin, 34.
The shooting happened outside the restaurant southeast of the intersection of East Washington Street and Mitthoeffer Road on the far east side. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and medical crews were called at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
Just minutes after the authorities and medical crews arrived and found a man dead in the parking, the entire area was blocked off with yellow police tape, and dozens of people were inside the taped-off area along with police officers.
An IMPD spokesperson said investigators believe the shots were fired from outside the restaurant and went into it. Only one person was shot. No injuries were reported. Police have no suspect in custody. They asked anyone with cellphone video to share it with Detective Lottie Patrick at the IMPD homicide office at 317-327-3475 or lottie.patrick@indy.gov.
“From what detectives have gathered thus far, the victim at some point was inside of the Chuck E. Cheese, came outside and unfortunately got hit by gunfire,” said IMPD Officer Samone Burris.
Shantel Dalton was inside the restaurant for a 2-year-old’s birthday party with family and friends when they heard “a big bang,” and two girls near an exterior window started screaming.
“Then the whole restaurant goes into, like, chaos, because somebody has shot inside Chuck E. Cheese. So, everybody’s inside grabbing their kids, trying to get to the ground, trying to get their kids to safety,” Dalton said.
Later, people inside the restaurant and exiting it could see a person lying dead on the ground.
“Basically, we came here for a 2-year-old’s birthday party, we didn’t even get to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the child, and now all these children have been exposed to violence that is very unnecessary,” Dalton said. “Unfortunately, all the kids saw it, heard it. All of the kids, a lot of the kids were in there crying, you know, and looking for their parents. It was just very chaotic with all those children crying, looking for their parents.”
Jessie Humphries, a girl who was with Dalton outside the restaurant about an hour after the shooting, told News 8 that she and other children tried to escape outside a back door, but found it locked. She also said police arrived about five minutes after the shooting happened.
IMPD says there is no ongoing threat at the location.
The restaurant will be closed until Tuesday. Anyone who needs to retrieve belongings from the restaurant can call Chuck E. Cheese’s at 317-897-6139.
