INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis metro police are investigating a man’s death following a disturbance involving several vehicles on the city’s northeast side Friday evening.
Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were called around 4:48 p.m. to the 10500 block of E. 38th Street in response to a reported personal injury accident in the area.
IMPD said officers were informed while en route that a crash had occurred between six vehicles that were previously involved in some sort of disturbance. Officers arrived on the scene and found an adult male who appeared to be suffering from gunshot wounds outside one of the vehicles. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene, according to IMPD.
Detectives are still working to determine if the victim’s death was caused by a gunshot wound or by the impact of the crash. It remains unclear if the victim was one of the drivers or a passenger.
Five other adults also sustained injuries following the crash. All of them were last reported to be in stable condition, according to IMPD. Detectives also recovered a firearm from the scene.
Investigators are still working to learn more about the disturbance that eventually resulted in the crash and possible shooting. As of this article’s publication, IMPD has not confirmed if any arrests have been made.
IMPD urged drivers to avoid the area as 38th Street will remain closed between Trilbey Drive and Long Wharf Drive for the next several hours.
“Drivers are asked to avoid the area. There is not believed to be any threat to the public,” IMPD said in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
AES Indiana crews also responded to the incident to identify if any powerlines were damaged.
As part of their investigation, detectives are currently on the scene speaking with witnesses and reviewing security camera footage that could shed light on the circumstances that led up to the deadly incident.
IMPD Public Information Officer Tommy Thompson said detectives would need the community’s assistance as they begin to unravel what exactly happened.
“It’s devastating and a family is grieving. I don’t know what led up to this. It doesn’t matter. We don’t know if a firearm was used against this individual,” Thompson said. “We don’t know anything. We just don’t know. That takes the community. This year alone, the community coming forward has yielded an arrest, has yielded a suspect being taken into custody who had a firearm. We don’t know, but that partnership with the community, our being deeply embedded, IMPD, that’s what matters. It takes the community. We can’t do this on our own. And if the community doesn’t come forward, it’s a lot of hard work.”
Anyone with information or surveillance video should call IMPD at (317) 327-3475 or Crime Stoppers at (317) 262-TIPS (8477).
This is a developing story. Check back here for more updates.
