IMPD: Mom killed after dropping kids at day care; police later shot 33-year-old suspect
UPDATE: The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Krystal Walton.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two Indianapolis police officers on Friday afternoon fired guns at and injured a 33-year-old man who is believed to have shot and killed a mother outside a child care center Friday morning, authorities said.
The name of the mother who died in the shooting has not yet been identified, a spokeswoman for Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said at a midafternoon news conference. IMPD believes the shooting was domestic-related.
Samone Burris, an IMPD public information officer, said at the news conference that IMPD officers were called just before 7:30 a.m. Friday to a shooting in the 900 block of Holmes Avenue. That’s near the intersection with West 10th Street, just north of the Haughville neighborhood.
Investigators believe Orlando Mitchell, 33, of Indianapolis, approached the mother and shot her as she walked from Charity Church Child Care Center, 2697 W. 10th St. Multiple people nearby witnessed the shooting, IMPD says. Mitchell knows the mother who was killed, police say.
IMPD said in a news release issued after the police shooting, “As the homicide investigation continued, detectives were able to obtain a suspect and a suspect vehicle description, which was shared with IMPD detectives and officers.”
At 10:19 a.m. Friday, a person called 911 from a bus stop in the 1000 block of North Delaware Street. That’s in the St. Joseph Historic Neighborhood south of I-65 and west of the North Split.
The 911 caller believed a man at the bus stop matched the description shared by police, and IMPD determined the 911 callers’ description matched Mitchell’s and sent officers to the bus stop. The officers found the Mitchell, holding a rifle, and saw his vehicle nearby. Burris said officers told Mitchell to drop the rifle and “at that time officers discharged their service weapons.”
Two firearms were found with Mitchell, Burris said.
Burris was asked at the news conference what led the two officers to fire on Mitchell. “What we know preliminarily is that when officers arrived he had the firearm in his hands. As far as what he did with the firearms when officers approached, that is under investigation and we will obtain that information as the investigation continues.”
Both officers, who were not named, were placed on administrative leave, a standard procedure, Burris said.
Medics gave aid to Mitchell after he was shot. He was last known to be stable, Burris said.
Mitchell was being held in jail without bond on two arrest warrants related to prior domestic violence cases, Burris said. IMPD later told News 8 it was not releasing the jail-booking photo of Mitchell.
According to online court records, one arrest warrant was issued Thursday. That warrant from Marion Superior Court 19 charged Mitchell with residential breaking and entering, invasion of privacy as a result of a “no contact” order, and intimidation.
The other arrest warrant was issued in connection with a conviction first filed in March 2021 in Marion Superior Court 20: strangulation of a pregnant person; domestic battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16 years old; confinement; and intimidation. Online court records show Mitchell ended up taking a plea deal, dismissing all charges and having him admit to a lesser domestic battery charge. He was sentenced to two days in jail and a year on probation, and required to take domestic violence counseling and to receive a substance abuse evaluation and a urinalysis test. On Wednesday, a “no contact” order was issued in relation to the March 2021 case.
Burris said IMPD could not say if the domestic violence involved the mother who was killed because IMPD is not identifying her.
IMPD was working with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office to file a murder charge and any other additional criminal charges against Mitchell.
Officers had their bodycams activated when shooting at Mitchell, Burris said. No officers or anyone else were injured in the shooting. Detectives believe there is no ongoing threat to the community.
Anyone with information was asked to call the IMPD homicide office at 317-327-3475.
Jeffrey Thomas, a pastor at Charity Church Ministries, said the shooting has left his heart “heavy.” He told News 8 that the mother who was killed often brought her children to the day care center. “It is hard to express when something this close is at our front door and happens in our community with our people,” Thomas said. “I just feel really saddened because of the effect it has on so many people. Our staff, our children, our families, the initial family. This is a heavy impact. Children have been affected by the wrecking of this particular family. It is really hard, it’s really hard.”
