Indianapolis man sentenced after drug deal led to fatal October 2021 shooting
Update: Travis Lang was sentenced to 96 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of murder in the October 2021 shooting death of Dylan McGinnis, according to a news release from the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. Lang also was found guilty of felony murder, attempted murder (Level 1 Felony), two counts of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury (Level 2 Felony) and carrying a handgun without a license (Level A Misdemeanor).
“Dylan McGinnis was tragically killed while simply looking out for his friend,” Mears said in the news release. “Great detective work was complemented by witnesses who not only cooperated but testified at trial and ultimately secured justice for Dylan and his family.”
ORIGINAL STORY (Oct. 19, 2021): A 23-year-old man is facing preliminary murder charges after police say he shot two people during a drug deal on the east side of Indianapolis earlier this month.
Travis Lang was arrested Monday in connection to the shooting death of 24-year-old Dylan McGinnis in a car in the 2900 block of East 11th Street near Rural Street shortly before 11:30 p.m., according to jail records and a preliminary probable cause affidavit.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers found McGinnis shot to death in the passenger seat of a black Ford Fusion minutes after dispatchers were told shots had been fired about 500 feet down the road. Nine 9mm shell casings were recovered from the scene, records indicate, and broken glass was found in the area. A woman in the driver's seat of the car had been shot in the leg.
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Witnesses told police the shooting began after McGinnis and the woman had "arranged to meet someone in Indianapolis to buy Xanax and heroin," according to the affidavit. As they were driving, witnesses told investigators, an argument over money between the man and the woman broke out, and the man, who was in the back of the car at the time, got out and fired into the car.
Investigators recovered the woman's phone from the scene, which had a recording of the moment the shooting occurred — the woman told investigators she thought the man might rob them and began to record.
In the recording, investigators said, a man can be heard demanding money, saying, "Give me my money before I start squeezing in this (expletive)," before a struggle and gunshots can be heard.
Police used social GPS data to piece together the route of the car and reviewed surveillance footage from nearby stores, as well as social media postings, to identify Lang as a suspect in the case, according to the affidavit.
In a written message to IndyStar, McGinnis' stepmother, Mindy, said McGinnis was not in the car to purchase narcotics but went along with the woman to help keep her safe. Police have not confirmed those details.
McGinnis' family in a statement described him as a "good kid" with a "helpful heart" who was planning on taking over his father's electrical contracting company.
"He was always helping friends move, (helping) with broken down vehicles," the family said. "He was always there to help whenever he saw someone in need."
An obituary for McGinnis notes he graduated from Westfield High School in 2016 and "enjoyed boating, gaming and building computers."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis man sentenced in 2021 drug deal shooting
