IMPD arrests 20-year-old man for May shootout at MLK Park

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A 20-year-old man Indianapolis man has been arrested for his role in a May 30 shootout at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

Xavier White faces two counts of criminal recklessness, one count of dealing in marijuana, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, online court records show. All four charges are felonies.

Court documents say at around 8:10 p.m. on May 30, a black Dodge Challenger pulled up to a group playing basketball at the park on Broadway Street.

The driver of the vehicle, unidentified by police engaged in conversation with someone in the group.

As the conversation ended, the car drove off the corner of 19th Street and Park Avenue. Someone inside the vehicle then started shooting toward the group, court papers say.

The group of basketball players returned fire, but no one was hurt. Investigators later found over 40 shell casings at the scene.

Police believe the shooting was targeted, but did not say who the intended target was.

As a result of the shooting, multiple residences near the park were sprayed by gunfire, including one where the residents and their child were inside.

Indianapolis police later deployed a mobile camera trailer at MLK Park as part of the shooting investigation.

During the investigation, officers obtained several videos from the moments leading up to the shooting from witnesses living near the park, court papers say.

In the videos, investigators noted several cars pulling up to the basketball court at around 7:20 p.m. Among the vehicles were a gray Chrysler 300, a gray Chevrolet Impala, and a silver Nissan car.

The shooting started around 8:10 p.m. Court documents say officers observed several on the basketball court returning fire at the black Dodge before the group returned to their cars armed with firearms.

Police also saw the men who arrived in the gray Chrysler returning to the vehicle with firearms. Court documents say officers noted the license plate number of the Chrysler, which later identified White as the owner of the car.

On June 6, investigators served a search warrant on White’s residence on the city’s west side. White was taken into custody without incident.

When police spoke with White, White informed investigators that he was at the park on the night of the shooting.

Court documents say White told police that he did not fire any shots at the black Dodge and fled from the scene. He also told officers he did not see who fired shots.

While searching the residence, court papers say that police found a .45-caliber firearm with a magazine containing 11 unspent .45-caliber rounds. They also found around 44 grams of marijuana and a digital scale.

Online jail records show White was booked into the Marion County Jail on June 6 on separate charges of assisting a criminal, unlawful purchase of a handgun, and possession of marijuana.

White is being held without bond.

White was due in court Monday morning for an initial hearing. A jury trial was scheduled for August 16.

A booking photo was not immediately available.