Boy, 8, Dies After Shots Fired Into House In Indianapolis

Associated Press

NDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An 8-year-old Indianapolis boy died overnight after he was struck by stray gunfire when shots were fired into a house, police said Wednesday.

The boy was shot shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday and pronounced dead at Riley Hospital for Children. The Marion County coroner's office identified the child as Rodgerick Payne Jr.

Maj. Harold S. Turner of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said "numerous" shots were fired into the house from the street on the city's northeast side.

No one else was injured and Turner said he didn't know if someone inside the home was the intended target.

Police spokeswoman Officer Genae Cook said investigators “don't believe this child was a target at all."

Turner said investigators are seeking witnesses who may have heard something, such as a car speeding away, fighting or the gunfire.

Tags:Indianapolis gun violence

Support independent journalism today. You rely on WFYI to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Donate to power our nonprofit reporting today. Give now.

Kamala Harris hits campaign trail with speech in Indianapolis at national sorority gathering

Indiana was one of the first stops for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. At the sold-out event Harris told the crowd that voters will have a choice between two different visions of America.

Public Affairs / July 14, 2024

The Secret Service is investigating how a gunman who shot and injured Trump was able to get so close

The U.S. Secret Service is investigating how a gunman armed with an AR-style rifle was able to get close enough to shoot and injure former President Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania.

Public Affairs / July 2, 2024

GOP US Rep. Spartz, of Indiana, charged with bringing gun through airport security, officials say

Authorities say Indiana Republican U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz has been charged with bringing a firearm through airport security. Airport officials said Monday she was charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor. Spartz's office says she was traveling to Europe and mistakenly carried an unloaded handgun in the pocket of her suitcase while going through security at Washington Dulles International Airport. Spartz is a staunch Second Amendment Republican representing central Indiana. She won her primary in May after saying last year that she would retire from congress. The charge carries up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine if convicted.