IMPD: Teen arrested for September shooting, attempted carjacking; Ben Davis HS shooting suspect provided gun
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A teenager has been arrested in connection to a September shooting and attempted carjacking on the city’s west side, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
On Sept. 3, just after 9:30 p.m., officers were called to Maureen Terrace Court for a report of a person shot. After getting to the scene, a male juvenile, suffering from a gunshot wound, was taken to the hospital in stable condition, police said.
Police learned, following an investigation into the shooting, that the incident actually began as an attempted carjacking in the 7900 block of West 10th Street. Police said that it was during the attempted carjacking that the 14-year-old shot the 16-year-old victim. Police were also able to identify the 14-year-old as the suspect.
“That’s not something we want to see,” IMPD Major Matthew Thomas said. “Paying attention. Adults paying attention to their children’s social media presence. If you’re seeing weapons with people that they’re friends with. That’s a concerning sign.”
Then on Oct. 1, at a Ben Davis High School football game, officers spotted and arrested the 14-year-old suspect, who was in a group of juveniles running after shots were fired. According to IMPD, David Tillman has been arrested for the shooting at the football game.
Also on Oct. 1, officers learned that Tillman is the person who gave the 14-year-old suspect the gun used in the Sept. 3 shooting and carjacking.
“I had a gun [when] I was like 10, 11 years old. I first got caught with one, I believe [when] I was like 12,” James Wilson, an activist and CEO of Circle Up Indy said.
Wilson says he knows all too well the impact of guns getting in the wrong hands, especially that of young teens.
“It’s always a level of survival,” he said. “When you constantly try to fight and get ahead, you’re going do what you have to do, no matter how old you are.”
Wilson says getting guns out of the hands of teens, starts with giving them a better economic environment.
“Housing is the key. We have 27,000 individuals on the Marion County docket up to be evicted. The violent wave is happening because I’m not stable. If I’m not stable, I’m going have to do what I do to create that stability,” he said.
The 14-year-old faces a number of preliminary charges.
