The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has apprehended a 16-year-old in connection with the January homicide of Rodney Nixon Jr. on the city's near west side. Early on January 20, officers responded to shots fired in the 200 block of N Warman Avenue, where they discovered 37-year-old Nixon Jr. with a fatal gunshot wound inside an apartment, as reported by FOX59.
While investigating the Nixon homicide, IMPD identified the 16-year-old suspect, who had been arrested on an unrelated warrant for "dangerous possession of a firearm" on Jan. 30, but was subsequently released. After further investigation, the teen was arrested again on a preliminary charge of murder, as detailed by WISH-TV. Details on any connection between the teen and Nixon or whether the teen will be tried as an adult have not been disclosed by the police.
This arrest comes as Indianapolis grapples with a spate of gun violence, including a weekend where more than ten people were shot. One of the incidents involved 19-year-old Isaiah Booker, who was found dead near a dumpster at an apartment complex, according to WTHR. In a subsequent event, two teens were shot at a nearby gas station, leaving 17-year-old Tywon Jones to succumb to his injuries.
The weekend's violence has prompted a reaction from city leaders, faced with the daunting task of quelling the surge in shootings. The names of other victims or potential suspects in the weekend shootings have not yet been released by officials.
