A 17-year-old Indianapolis boy has been arrested in connection with the mass murder of his family, and the suspect’s brother — the sole survivor of the incident — has revealed his astonishing possible motive.
Cops from Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department North District responded to reports of a shooting around 4 a.m. on Sunday to discover four members of one family, as well as a pregnant woman and her unborn child, had been shot dead at a home.
What police described as the “largest mass casualty shooting” in the city in more than a decade took the lives of 42-year-old Kezzie Childs, 42-year-old Raymond Childs, 18-year-old Elijah Childs, and 13-year-old Rita Childs, as well as pregnant 19-year-old Kiara Hawkins — who was found with fatal gunshot wounds, and was unable to be revived at the hospital. Police confirmed that neither she nor “Baby Boy Hawkins” survived.
There was one survivor, though. Near the scene, officials found a teen male suffering from gunshot wounds; he was taken to the hospital and is expected to heal from his injuries. The victim later told police the shooter was his older brother, who apparently flew into a fit of rage after his father reprimanded him for leaving the house without permission.
According to an IMPD report obtained by FOX59, the surviving brother said his father had told the older son that they would resolve the issue later, but the teen disagreed. The victim told cops he was sitting downstairs with his parents when he heard gunshots upstairs, and his sister yelling “He shot them,” followed by more gunfire.
He said his older brother then “came down the stairs with a draco gun, a handgun that shoots rifle rounds, and started shooting.” The younger brother reportedly fled out the side door of the house, but the gun-wielding brother chased after him, still firing.
Police launched a manhunt on Sunday, and a day later found and arrested the suspect. Because of his age, police have not yet identified him. IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said in a statement:
“Yesterday, we promised swift justice for this heinous act. Today, we delivered on that promise. While removing the alleged perpetrator of yesterday’s mass murder from our neighborhoods does not bring back the lives senselessly lost, hopefully, it will bring us one step closer to healing as a community… I am grateful to all of the IMPD officers and criminal justice partners who have worked tirelessly for the last 30 plus hours to bring justice for these victims, their friends and families, and our entire community. I ask community members to join me in praying for the continued recovery of the young man whose life has been forever changed.”
Police have not clarified the relationships between the family and the pregnant victim, but neighbors told reporters that Hawkins was due to give birth next month.
Such a tragic, senseless act. This is why mental health awareness is so important; it sounds like the shooter was battling some serious demons. Our hearts go out to the victims’ families — especially the surviving brother who has to live the rest of his life without a family.
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