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16-year-old boy shot, killed in east side parking lot

UPDATE: The victim has been identified as 16-year-old Michael Duerson III.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said a 16-year-old boy died after being shot in a parking lot on Sunday night.

The shooting happened just before 10 p.m. at 30th Street and Lesley Avenue on the east side. IMPD said the teen was taken to the hospital in critical condition, went into surgery, and died.

Officers on the scene did talk to witnesses and are trying to piece together what happened.

This shooting comes on the heels of a violent weekend in Indianapolis. On Sunday morning six people were shot on the west side, including one man who was killed. IMPD responded to a banquet hall in the 4200 block of W. 38th St. just after 3:15 a.m. Sunday. That’s near Lafayette Road.

On Saturday afternoon a man was killed in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood. The shooting happened just before 4 p.m. on the 600 block of West 39th Street. When officers arrived, they found a man in an alley behind 3914 Byrum Avenue.

The violence over the weekend is a shock to the Indianapolis TenPoint Coalition.

The group made up of religious leaders, former gang members and ex-convicts have helped curb some recent violence with a boots-on-the-ground approach in neighborhoods. Their work has been effective in Butler Tarkington, where until this weekend there hadn’t been a homicide in more than a year.

Now, Indianapolis TenPoint Coalition President, Rev. Dr. Charles Harrison said he is concerned.

“I think overall we are still very concerned as the weather warms up that we are probably going to see a lot more activity on the street. There certainly are still too many people in our city that don’t have a regard for the sanctity of human life – so you know these interpersonal conflicts tend to lead to violence and too many people are being shot,” Harrison said.

Harrison isn’t losing hope though. He said the homicide rate so far in 2022 is down compared to this time in 2021. Harrison thinks the new IMPD peacemakers will help. He likes the idea of added technology, such as a gun shot detection system, being used in Indianapolis.

Harrison said with more funding going to anti-violence groups, he thinks the investments will pay off in the long run.

When it comes to this 16-year-old boy who was shot and killed on Sunday, IMPD is still investigating and asks anyone with information to call the police or Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS (8477).

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