Grief-stricken screams and wailing pierced the cold Thanksgiving air from family and loved ones who stood outside a one-story home on the city’s east side. Yellow tape blocked them off from the visible fire damage seen on the exterior of the house, which also had a shattered window.
At 10:17 a.m., Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called to assist Indianapolis Fire at a home in the 3700 block of North Audubon Road after being notified that a person had been shot.
Firefighters were originally there after a caller said the home was filled with smoke and children were inside. Officers found a woman shot at the scene, and she was taken to an area hospital in critical condition before later being pronounced dead. A man was also found shot, but pronounced dead at the scene.
“The hardest part is that today is Thanksgiving,” IMPD Officer Tommy Thompson said. “No family on this holiday should be going through what this family is going through right now. Standing out here in the cold weather, and having to go think about the loss of two lives. How devastating that is.”
Two young children were found unharmed inside the home. The Indiana Department of Children Services was called, but several family members were also at the scene and are cooperating with police, Thompson said. No suspect information was immediately released as detectives are in the preliminary stages of the investigation.
Indianapolis Fire is conducting its own investigation into the fire, Thompson said. A department spokesperson has not yet responded to a request for comment.
“I know we talk and say numbers are great and all these things, but today it really is about family,” Thompson said in reference to crime numbers being down for 2025. “This community is affected, this family that’s standing behind me is affected. This hurts really bad to think about on Thanksgiving.”
(This story will update.)
Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Man and woman found shot inside home after Thanksgiving house fire
Reporting by Jade Jackson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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