Indianapolis, IN
6-year-old boy dies following accidental shooting, IMPD says
Man and woman found shot inside home after Thanksgiving house fire
A man and woman are dead after being found shot inside a home during a house fire on Thanksgiving morning in the 3700 block of Audubon Road.
A 6-year-old boy is dead after accidentally shooting himself with a relative’s handgun, an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed.
At 4:09 p.m., on Nov. 27, officers were called to a home in the 5200 block of Corgan Way on the city’s southwest side. Officers found the boy shot, and he was taken to an area hospital in critical condition but later died.
“Your heart just sinks. We just have to do better. We cannot allow our little ones, who were the voice for, who are just innocent and don’t know any better, to get a hold of a weapon like this,” Officer Tommy Thompson said. “It’s just sad. Far too young. For this child’s life that’s been taken, I hope we can take something from it.”
Thompson said the boy’s parents were on their way to the city and other family members were taken downtown for questioning. No one is being detained at this time.
“It sounds like a tragic accident. There are no words that can ever express the feeling that I’m sure this family member’s going through, who was the owner of this firearm, and how it got into this child’s hands. Their mental health is going to have to be monitored for a while,” Thompson said.
In a statement online, IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said, “Our entire department is holding this family and our community close to our hearts this evening.”
“My heart goes out to the family and everyone who knew this child, a life gone far too soon,” The statement read. “This loss is especially heartbreaking on a day meant for gratitude.”
Thompson offered a reminder to the community that Indianapolis Public Libraries have free gun locks available, and if someone has a firearm they don’t want anymore, the department will take it to have it destroyed.
Earlier in the day, two people were killed after a shooting on the city’s east side. A man and woman were found shot inside a home after the Indianapolis Fire Department was called about a house fire. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and the woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition but later died.
Two young children were also found inside the home, but were unharmed.
“I have two families from this morning and this afternoon, just gutted on a Thanksgiving,” Thompson said. “This is a quiet community behind me, this complex. I just can’t imagine how they’re impacted as well, how scary that is.”
Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.