Police search for suspect, witness in road rage shooting
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A road rage incident on the city’s south side ended in gunfire. It’s the second case where a suspect has pulled out a gun and fired in just over a week.
It happened near the intersection of Raymond Street and Keystone Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night.
Whether raging behind the wheel or on the receiving end, most people have dealt with road rage in some capacity.
“I just had a guy cut me off and I chased him,” said Ashley Taylor.
Paul Johnson said, “I’ve had people throw the finger at me, or the bird, as they call it.”
What makes this road rage case unique is how far the suspect took it. Police believe the suspect, driving a silver Nissan sedan, chased the victim from Beech Grove, where the incident started, for miles to the Keystone Avenue and Raymond Street area.
“It has been going on for a few blocks already. They recognized that this other driver was trying to keep up with them and wasn’t allowed to get away,” said Sgt. Jim Gillespie with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
The victim, who was driving a Chevy TrailBlazer with at least one passenger, called 911.
“That Nissan pulled up next to the TrailBlazer and fired some shots into the vehicle, which struck the passenger,” said Gillespie.
The suspect took off. The driver of the TrailBlazer rushed to a nearby gas station to wait for an ambulance. Medics rushed the backseat passenger, who was stable, to the hospital, where she was treated and released.
Sunday night’s incident was the second in eight days. Last Saturday, Dustin Passarelli called police after allegedly killing 32-year-old Mustafa Ayoubi. Ayoubi’s family has called the fatal shooting a hate crime. Police say this degree of road rage is uncommon.
“It’s not something that we have to worry about too much. But there are those instances, like this one, where it is possible, where it can happen,” said Gillespie.
Gillespie says people should contact police if you notice an aggressive driver. Gillespie advises people should not try to handle the situation on their own.
Police are asking neighbors with surveillance cameras to review video from around 9:30 p.m. Sunday. If you know of a suspect driving a silver Nissan sedan with plates that started with letters instead of numbers, call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.
Also, police are looking for a possible witness who was driving a gray Dodge Charger with either police plates or some kind of police support plates.
