INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department released its monthly homicide report Tuesday. Here’s what we know from the report as we enter into the month of July.
Deadliest June on record
More people’s death was ruled a homicide in June of 2022 than in any June on FOX59’s record that dates back to 2014. 24 people’s deaths were listed as a homicide in June 2022. This is two more homicides than the previous record set in 2020.
While the overall homicides have declined 9% from 2021, the month-to-month comparison has June 2022 seeing 33% more homicides.
A contributing factor in the difference is the number of victims per incident. In the first three months of 2021, Indianapolis experienced three mass killings that claimed a total of 18 lives. This includes the FedEx mass homicide that claimed 8 lives.
First vehicular homicides on report
For the first time since FOX59 started tracking homicides, the manner of death of a vehicle crash appeared on the homicide list. Two homicides that took place in the month of June were caused by a person hitting another person using their vehicle.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears admits that murder charges for vehicular homicides are rare. In the two cases that ended up being counted as homicides on the IMPD’s report, the prosecutor had reasons to believe they were intentional.
Andre Smith was the first victim to be counted as a victim of vehicular homicide. In his case, court records show that the suspect, 26-year-old Gaylyn Morris, told witnesses she believed Smith was cheating on her with another woman. She tracked him to the pub using GPS before running over him three times in the parking lot.
Less than a week later, Kayla Bowling became the second victim of vehicular homicide. Police say 27-year-old Kyle Ringdon hit her with his car as she was riding her bike, killing her. Court records show that Bowling’s parents told police that Ringdon stalked and harassed their daughter before killing her.
Delayed homicide determinations
While June 2022 saw the most homicide determinations on record, not all of the homicides took place during the month.
Two homicides on the list took place in the past, with the longest delay being a 2015 shooting where the victim died in February 2022. His death was not listed as a homicide until June 21.
In that case, Titus Mathis was shot and taken to the hospital. Almost seven years later, Mathis died from complications as a result of those gunshot wound injuries.
In another case, a woman was found dead in March. Her death was determined to be a homicide on June 12, with the manner of death of blunt force trauma.
East side continues to feel brunt of homicides
Taking a look at where the homicides happened during June, Indy’s East side felt the brunt of the month’s homicides.
Five homicides took place on the East Side of town according to the sides of town map that FOX59 uses to identify areas at a glance. Taking a closer look, the Near Eastside and Far Eastside neighborhoods experienced the most homicides, at 3 each.
Gunshots lead manner of death
IMPD continues to have gunshots as the leading manner of death for homicides in Indianapolis. In June 2022, 18 homicides had gunshot listed as the manner of death.
Through the end of June, 91 people in Indianapolis had gunshot listed as the cause of death. While this is fewer shooting deaths than in 2020 or 2021, it is more than any prior year. Gunshot is also the highest cause of death listed in any year on FOX59’s record.
