INDIANAPOLIS — Two-thirds of the way through 2024, homicide numbers in Indianapolis continue to trend down.
As of Monday morning, 138 homicides had been reported in Indianapolis since the start of the year. That is the lowest total on this same date since 2019.
Homicides in 2024 are lower compared to each of the last 4 years. The numbers peaked in 2021, with 183 homicides on this same day.
“You know, sometimes we get excited when the numbers are down a little bit, but there’s a lot of work to do,” said Reverend Charles Harrison with Indy Ten Point.
On Sept. 2, 2021, Koebe Clopton was the 183rd person killed that year.
“I just miss my son, and I wish they would take it seriously because it’s a life gone,” said Nadia Clopton.
Nadia Clopton’s son grew up in Hammond and played football, but moved to Indianapolis to attend U-Indy.
Police believe the 20-year-old college junior was shot near 46th Street and Arlington Avenue after meeting someone to sell shoes.
“Somebody acted like they were going to buy some gym shoes, and that never happened,” Nadia Clopton said. “It went wrong.”
Three years later, Koebe Clopton’s murder remains unsolved, and Nadia feels forgotten because she isn’t sure who with IMPD is even handling her son’s case.
“I don’t know anything,” Nadia Clopton said. “All I know is my son is not here, and the detective I had been working with, I was told he retired.”
Of course by the end of 2021, the city finished with a record 272 homicides. Over the last four years, Indianapolis has topped 200 killings each year.
Reverend Harrison hopes to break that trend this year, but it will take the community continuing to work together.
“We have a lot of work to do to get these numbers down, and I hope everyone stays vigilant,” said Harrison.
So far 67% of this year’s homicides remain unsolved.
Anyone with information on those cases or Koebe Clopton’s 2021 homicide can still contact either IMPD’s homicide office or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.
