Make wishtv.com your home page

‘It doesn’t seem real’: Mom killed, daughter hurt in shooting

Mother killed, daughter hurt in shooting on near north side

Richard Essex | News 8

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Friends say Tatyana Sims, 20, and her 3-year-old daughter, Malajah, moved into a house in the 3300 block of Hovey Street about a year ago.

At 3 a.m. Tuesday, someone opened fire on the family’s modest east-side house, injuring the mother and daughter. Tatyana was taken to a hospital but died there.

Hours before, Sims had been on the phone with her friends.

“She was just having a great day. She was at her grandmother’s at a cookout, swimming. She was having a good day,” Jessika Quinn said of her friend.

By mid-morning, many of Sims’ friends and family had gathered at the house next door. There was little anyone could say or do to ease their pain.

“She was just so young. She was only 20, and I just feel like it was way too soon for her to leave us. It just shouldn’t be like this,” friend Ashley Simmons said.

As more and more of her friends and family gathered to share stories and memories, many of the the police officers had left the neighborhood.

Crime scene investigators were left to comb the street and the yard for evidence. Indianapolis metropolitan police no Tuesday not released how many shots were fired, but a News 8 crew counted close to 30 yellow evidence cones littering the yard and street.

Tatyana’s younger sister, Danielle Smith, was remarkably composed as she spoke of her older sister on Tuesday: “Like it doesn’t seem real. I was just with her. I don’t understand how someone could do that just so quick. I just talked to her, not even … I talked to her at 10 right before I went to sleep. We were just talking about the baby. She was leaving grandma’s house. It doesn’t make sense to me at all.”

While police try to answer questions about Tatyana’s death, her daughter is at an area hospital recovering from her own injuries, according to family friends.

Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call 317-262-TIPS.

Crime Map
Use Search Bars Above To Search Crime Data