Teen charged in Indianapolis shooting that killed 5, unborn child
INDIANAPOLIS – A 17-year-old believed to be the gunman in an early Sunday shooting that claimed the lives of five people and an unborn child in Indianapolis is facing multiple murder charges.
Raymond Ronald Lee Childs III has been formally charged with six counts of murder, attempted murder and carrying a handgun without a license, according to court records.
In Indiana, a 17-year-old charged with murder must be tried in adult court. However, the death penalty can't be used with a minor. Life without parole remains a possible sentence.
Childs was arrested Monday and stands accused of fatally shooting members of his family after a dispute inside their home.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said Thursday that an argument between Childs and his father about staying out late may have sparked a dispute inside the home.
Kezzie Childs, 42, Raymond Childs, 42, Elijah Childs, 18, Rita Childs, 13, Kiara Hawkins, 19, and Hawkins' unborn child were pronounced dead after being found in that home shortly before 4 a.m. local time Sunday.
Hawkins was in a relationship with one of the people living in the home, Mears said. She was just one week from giving birth.
"The first thing that goes through your mind is you’re just heartbroken," Mears said. "Not only did so many people lose their lives, but you think about that family and what they were anticipating and the baby was due in a week."
Investigators were led to the crime scene after making contact with a boy who was found suffering from gunshot wounds just steps away from the scene.
A 9-millimeter handgun and casings from the firearm were found inside the home that night, according to Mears. The teen is believed to have also used a Draco firearm, which investigators recovered later.
The surviving juvenile is expected to survive his injuries.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randal Taylor said in a prepared statement that the filed charges are “welcome news” as the community continues to grapple with the crime.
“But our focus should remain on remembering the lives of those taken from us too soon and doing everything we can to rally around the surviving victim as he must come to terms with unimaginable loss," the statement said. "My prayers are with him in his continued recovery, and with all those who lost a family member, a loved one, a friend, or a neighbor on Sunday."
Investigators do not believe any other suspects were involved.
A pretrial conference for Childs is scheduled for April 21.
The penalty for murder in Indiana is a minimum of 45 to 65 years. Mears said the range for attempted murder in the state is 20 to 40 years. Carrying a handgun without a license carries no jail time, to a year in jail.
Contributing: Johnny Magdaleno, IndyStar
Follow IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack on Twitter: @justinlmack.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis shooting suspect charged with murder as an adult
