Female employee shot at Dollar Tree store in Lawrence dies from injuries

Sarah Nelson and John Tufts, Indianapolis Star
·1 min read
1

Jasmine Bennett, a 25-year-old Dollar Tree employee in Lawrence Township, died after she was shot Monday afternoon by a former employee, according to officials.

Just after 1:30 p.m., Lawrence police officers responded to a Dollar Tree in the 10500 block of Pendleton Pike where they found a female employee at the store suffering from gunshot wounds.

More: Indianapolis killings: Tracking every homicide in 2023

Investigators identified a suspect, 21-year-old Jalen Thomas, and learned he was a former store employee who knew the woman, according to Lawrence police chief Gary Woodruff. Thomas was taken into custody within two hours, he said.

Later Monday evening, Lawrence police officials said the woman died.

The shooting in Lawrence echoed several others across the city in recent days.

Four people died, including a juvenile, who were killed in two separate shootings Saturday. IMPD officers found Olivia Katherine Brown, 24, and Darien Jamar Wiley, 27, just after midnight dead from gunshot wounds in the 2100 block of Ruckle Street near East 21st Street and Central Avenue. Police are still searching for suspects and witnesses

Later, at about 2 a.m., police arrived at an apartment complex in the 7800 block of Red Mill Drive to find Nicholas Powell, 18, and Jhavon Fisher, 17, with gunshot injuries. One died at a hospital and the other died at the scene.

On Sunday, police found David Za Hki Kenner, 20, shot inside a vehicle in the Fountain Square neighborhood.

Woodruff, like other public safety officials in the past few weeks, added his sentiments about the wave of gun violence washing over the Indianapolis area.

"People need to identify alternative ways to resolve conflict without resorting to deadly violence," Woodruff said.

Contact Sarah Nelson at 317-503-7514 or sarah.nelson@indystar.com. IndyStar reporter John Tufts contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Woman shot at Dollar Tree store in Lawrence not expected to survive