INDIANAPOLIS — A 19-year-old man is dead after a shooting at his own birthday celebration on Indy near north side.
The shooting took place at the victim’s home in the Crown Hill neighborhood Wednesday night.
With sirens still sounding, members of the Ten Point Coalition Butler Tarkington team walked up to the scene on Salem after hearing dozens of gunshots while patrolling in the area.
“One lady was sitting on the porch crying, ‘They shot my momma. They shot my momma,’” said Charles Porter.
Charles Porter recalls watching as emergency crews pulled 19-year-old Keondre Davidson out of the home and performed CPR, trying unsuccessfully to save his life on his own birthday.
“To be celebrating your birthday and get killed, you just don’t comprehend or see anything like that. You start with a party and it winds up in a tragedy,” said Porter.
“I’m tired of all the violence. I’m saddened by it and it doesn’t seem to end. You can’t even have a birthday party without it turning into a violence scene,” said Rev. Charles Harrison with the Ten Point Coalition.
Reverend Harrison also responded to the scene after being alerted by the Ten Point crew.
So far police have not explained what led up to the violence which left another woman wounded.
“I wouldn’t have guessed that I would be hearing this,” said Douglas Morris with the MLK Center.
Douglas met Keondre in 2018 when Keondre volunteered with the Tarkington Teen Work Crew, a summer employment program at the MLK center.
Leaders there took to Facebook to say they were heartbroken and shocked by the death, describing Keondre as hard-working and optimistic.
“He wasn’t negative. Some people you talk to, they have a negative outlook, and that wasn’t him,” said Charity Malone.
“He was a great young man,” said MLK Center executive director Allison Luthe.
“It seemed like he had goals and was trying to move forward in his life,” said Morris.
“It’s just outrageous. We’ve got too much violence in this city and it’s unnecessary,” said Porter.
So far police have not released any suspect information on the case. Anyone with information is still asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS (8477).
