Remembering Chris Beaty a year after his murder in downtown Indianapolis riots
INDIANAPOIS (WISH) — It has been one year since the man known best as “Mr. Indianapolis,” Chris Beaty, was shot and killed during the riots downtown.
Those closest to Beaty are spending the weekend together to remember the man who brought constant joy and laughter to their lives. They say they are getting through the tough milestones of the first year without him in a way that he would have wanted, together.
To start Beaty’s memorial weekend, his family and friends hosted a golf outing benefiting the Chris Beaty Foundation. The golf course was a place where Beaty maintained a lot of friendships and found peace.
“We played every Saturday pretty much in our adult life. It is something that we cherished and we loved going out and talking, stuff like that,” said Beaty’s friend Odest Shannon.
For those who were closest to him. the passing year hasn’t made his loss any easier.
“Still kind of numb to be honest. It is all still setting in anew. This is the first year of us not having him with us,” Shannon said.
The golf outing and other events help continue legacy and impact.
Debra Cooper, Beaty’s mom, said “I have been sad. I had my sad days and I had my good days. But with everything going on and all the activities that his friends like to have, so they drag me out so I don’t have time to be depressed about it.”
Cooper just had her first Mother’s Day without her son, but his friends made sure she still got a message from him. “And he said, ‘Chris called me and told me to call you and tell you that he loves you and to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day for him.’ And, oh, I just started crying,” Cooper said.
Beaty had a large network of friends, which means every time they get together new stories are shared.
“It is good to hear those stories and it is good to know that there is so many people that he impacted,” Shannon said.
Cooper said, “I have learned a lot about my son just talking to his friends.”
After Friday’s golf outing, Beaty’s friends are holding a big dinner for him Saturday followed by a balloon release Sunday, which is the anniversary of his death.