RICHMOND, Ind. — A double shooting in Richmond left an 18-year-old dead and another injured.
According to the Richmond Police Department, officers responded to the area of South 8th and South A Streets around 2 p.m. Tuesday, where they found two gunshot victims.
One of the victims was treated at the hospital and released, while the second victim died as a result of his injuries, police said. The man killed has been identified as Nathaniel Reed.
“It’s just crazy around this community. It’s so busy. It was during the day. I mean there’s so many people around,” said Matthew Bay, a local construction worker. “It’s just the violence has gotten bad everywhere and it’s terrible that somebody lost their life.”
The construction crew Bay works with has been working at a job site on the corner where the shooting happened for about a week now. He said they left about one hour before the shooting, but still, hearing the news has left him and others on edge.
“It’s something that you don’t wanna hear and especially coming back to the same spot where it just happened and going to work,” said Bay. “I’m kind of thankful that we did leave when we did and that we wasn’t a part of none of that.”
After the shooting, for several hours, the investigation focused on the intersection around a black four-door sedan that the victims were in when they were shot. While police have not released a motive, they tell FOX59 they do not believe the shooting to be random.
“It’s just heartbreaking that you know, you got to think somebody lost their kid,” said Bay.
Police said evidence indicated a car was alongside the black car’s driver’s side when the shots were fired and that after the shooting, a silver four-door sedan, believed to be a Toyota Camry with black wheels, took off from the scene.
RPD Investigators were called to the scene for processing, collecting evidence and to interview witnesses, police said.
On Wednesday afternoon, police told FOX59 that the vehicle had been located. No arrests or suspects have been announced.
Still, Bay said he is concerned by the violence, especially in the middle of the day with so many people around.
“This is a pretty busy road. It’s constant traffic all day long,” he said, noting the amount of businesses, foot and vehicular traffic.
He’s frustrated to know that others could have been in the area and could have also been hit by a bullet.
“What if there was like a kid walking by and nobody even cares?”
Bay hopes that anyone involved or that has information on the shooting will let investigators know. He also hopes the community will say enough is enough and find ways to combat violent crime as a whole.
“I just hope that somebody speaks out, does the right thing and comes forward so we can figure out who killed this young kid and bring them to justice. That’s what’s right for him and his family,” said Bay. “We need more people to reach out, to help out with stuff and get all these bad people off the streets.”
Anyone with information on the shooting is encouraged to call the Richmond Police Department.
