An Indianapolis man has been charged with the murder of his roommate, in a case that has drawn attention due to the disturbing details surrounding the incident. Abdul Malik Banks, aged 20, is accused of fatally shooting his 44-year-old roommate Shawnetta Small after a dispute that included disturbing acts of spitting and the smearing of feces.
According to WISH-TV, the altercation escalated after Banks confronted Small for using the restroom in a naked state and leaving the door open. In the midst of their dispute, Small reportedly spat at and smeared feces on Banks, leading to a further escalation of the conflict. Both Small's and Banks' other roommates were present during the incident, and they recollected hearing a loud noise which one of them thought was the sound of dishes falling during a physical altercation.
IMPD officers discovered Small's body, which bore two gunshot wounds, in her bedroom on July 11. This was after they received a 911 call from Small who claimed that Banks attacked her, as reported by WIBC. She had also expressed her wishes for her roommate to be arrested over the phone. In the ensuing investigation, detectives found that while Banks denied any issues with Small, he admitted to her spitting on him and smearing feces on him.
Contrary to Small's initial claim of being hit in the head with a gun during an emergency call cited by WTHR, the Marion County Coroner's Office concluded that she had not been stabbed but had indeed died from gunshot wounds. A witness revealed that the house, which was broken into individual rental units, became the scene where only Banks and Small were present downstairs when a loud 'boom' was heard.
Banks, who is currently held without bond in the Marion County jail, is set to go to trial on September 22. While IMPD did not confirm whether shell casings found at the scene matched Banks' firearm, witnesses have verified that Banks owned a black-and-green semi-automatic handgun. The defendant did not specify whether he attacked or shot Small during the confrontation, leaving open questions as the case moves forward to court.
