Indianapolis, IN
Man found guilty of Indy mass shooting that left six of his family members dead in 2021
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After a week-long jury trial, Raymond Ronald Lee Childs III was found guilty of a mass shooting that left six of his family members dead in January 2021.
Kezzie Childs, 42, Raymond Childs, 42, Elijah Childs, 18, Rita Childs, 13, Kiara Hawkins, 19, and Hawkins’ unborn child were all killed in that attack.
The jury convicted Childs of six counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and one count of carrying a handgun without a license after deliberating the case for about three hours.
Childs is expected to have his sentencing hearing in January 2025.
More: A teen slaughtered his family, police say. The father’s last words were ‘I love you.’
Childs’ conviction comes several months after the first hearing of his case was ruled a mistrial on July 23, 2024.
A key witness for the prosecution team verbally confronted Childs in front of the jury, which led to Marion Superior Judge Chris Miller acknowledging the courtroom violation and ultimately declaring the case a mistrial after talking to individual jurors, Fox59 reported at the time.
Before the shooting at the FedEx Ground facility in April 2021, the mass shooting carried out by Childs was considered one of the worst the city had seen in a decade, according to local officials and law enforcement at the time.
“What occurred inside that home is as unfathomable today as it was in 2021,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a press release about Childs’ conviction.
“It has been an incredibly difficult journey for the family and friends of the six people that we tragically lost. I am proud of our trial team, law enforcement, and witnesses, whose dedication to our victims didn’t waiver when faced with adversity. Their commitment ultimately led to today’s verdict and justice for the victims of this horrific crime.”
What happened?
On Jan. 24, 2021, Childs got into an argument with his father after Childs had returned home after leaving without permission, according to court documents. Childs was 17 years old at the time of the shooting.
The argument soon escalated, which led to Childs shooting his parents and the other members of his family with a Draco 7.62. The shooting left his mom, dad, two siblings, a pregnant teen and her unborn child dead.
One of the few people who survived the shooting was Childs’ 15-year-old brother, who officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the front porch of the family’s house in the 3500 block of Adams Street.
The teen was immediately taken to the hospital in critical condition.
After surviving his surgery, the teen told police of the events that led up to the shooting and he heard their father say, “I’m sorry Raymond; I love you,” before being shot by Childs, according to court documents.
Before Childs shot his brother, the teen explained that he pleaded with his big brother to not shoot him, “I can give you 40 dollars. I won’t say nothing. Please don’t kill me,” according to court documents.
Police arrested Childs at the home of a relative the following day.
Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@indystar.com or follow him on X @1NoePadilla.
Indianapolis, IN
Member of cleaning crew shot, killed after arriving at wrong house near Indianapolis, police say
Friday, November 7, 2025 1:14AM
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WHITESTOWN, Ind. — A cleaning crew worker who mistakenly arrived at the wrong home was shot and killed Wednesday morning near Indianapolis, police said.
Officers responded to a report of a possible home invasion in Whitestown, Indiana.
They found a woman, who had been shot, and a man on the front porch of a home.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. She was later identified as 32-year-old Maria Florinda Rios Perez de Velasquez of Indianapolis.
Police said it was later determined “the individuals attempting to enter the home were members of a cleaning crew who mistakenly arrived at the wrong address.”
The investigation is ongoing.
ABC News contributed to this report.
Indianapolis, IN
Casino could be in the cards for downtown Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — Talks of landing a potential casino license for downtown Indianapolis are in very early stages, after a state-commissioned study found Indy to be the most lucrative location.
It’s still much too early to tell if a casino is in the cards for downtown Indy, but sources tell the Indianapolis Business Journal that this is an effort supported by the Hogsett administration, as well as senators from both sides of the aisle: Sen. Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis) and Sen. Greg Taylor (D-Indianapolis).
On the other hand, at least one key legislative leader, House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers), has voiced his opposition to putting another casino in central Indiana. All of this, after a state-commissioned study found downtown Indy was the best choice for a casino license from a revenue standpoint, followed by the Fort Wayne area.
If the existing Rising Star Casino were to relocate to the state capital, the IBJ reports an estimated $170 million in gambling tax revenue each year and more than $490 million in estimated gross annual revenue.
“From those I’ve talked to, this is about as far as they’ve ever gotten in serious conversations about having a downtown casino. There have been talks about maybe one at the airport in the past or at the fairgrounds back in the 90s, but as far as downtown goes, this is the farthest things have gone,” said Mickey Shuey, IBJ’s commercial real estate, tourism and sports business reporter.
According to the IBJ, the Capital Improvement Board is intrigued by the idea, as negotiations for a new lease agreement for the Indianapolis Colts are right around the corner.
“Improving Lucas Oil Stadium and essentially what that might look like long term, they’ll need to find a way to pay for that. They’ll need to find ways to pay for a soccer stadium if they opt to move ahead with that,” Shuey said.
“There’s plenty of other projects downtown that the city would like to get funding for.”
The IBJ reported that multiple potential sites have been brought into the conversation, with two locations near the Indiana Convention Center at the forefront. Shuey said it’s looking to be a tough sell, as Rising Star has basically laid out its plan for a $500 million casino in New Haven, just north of Fort Wayne. The location took second place behind Indy in the study.
“From the indications I got from state officials, those outside of Marion County, they’re going to be tough to win over. Especially since there’s not been a firm plan put in place for what will happen with a casino downtown.”
In the coming months, Shuey said we should see discussion start to ramp up on this, as we move closer to the regular session next year. He said that, according to state leaders, there’s a lot of “winning over” to do, in terms of gaining support from those outside of Marion County in order to make this a reality.
Indianapolis, IN
Did Louisville’s plane crash delay your flight? How to check its status in Indianapolis
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky has reopened but multiple taxiways remain closed, according to the FAA, after a fiery UPS plane crash on Nov. 4 left at least nine people dead and several injured.
Anyone scheduled to arrive or depart in Louisville have been advised by airport authorities to check their flight status.
UPS, the largest employer in Louisville, halted operations at its UPS Worldport facility. The plane crash has become the deadliest in UPS Airlines’ history.
“We are terribly saddened by the accident tonight in Louisville. Our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved,” UPS spokesperson Jim Mayer, told The Courier Journal via email.
Here’s how to check your flight status if flying in or out of Indianapolis International Airport.
Check your flight status at Indianapolis International Airport
Travelers to Indianapolis International Airport can check their flight status online for both arrivals and departures at the airport’s official website.
Is my flight arriving on time? See current Indy Airport arrivals
Is my flight leaving on time? See current Indy Airport departures
Contributing: Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
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