A 14-year-old boy with no criminal history is facing several charges, including murder, for the downtown Indianapolis shooting of recent Indiana University graduate Brett Scrogham.
Scrogham, a graduate of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, was shot on May 28 in a downtown parking garage near the Indiana Convention Center. The 23-year-old died two days later from a gunshot wound to the head. His death has become part of a larger debate over crime in downtown Indianapolis and a rallying cry among some conservatives who cast the death as a result of failed policies of local Democratic officials.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced the charges during a press conference June 5, a little over a week after Scrogham was shot. Mears, a frequent target of criticism from Republicans who accused him of creating a revolving door of criminals, also called out critics “who were very willing to assign blame to who was responsible.”
But in this case, Mears said, the suspect had no prior interactions with the criminal justice system and was not on law enforcement’s radar. This, he said, presented a challenge to detectives in identifying him.
“The reality is,” Mears said, “we have a 14-year-old who has never been charged, never been arrested.”
Mears revealed little about the circumstances around the shooting, other than it happened during an attempted robbery. Scrogham had gone to the downtown parking lot to watch a baseball game with his family. The suspect, whose name has not been released, has also been charged with felony murder, attempted robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and dangerous possession of a firearm.
Prosecutors have filed a petition to move the case to adult court, although it’s unclear when that might happen. The process involves a full investigation into the 14-year-old’s background and a hearing. Mears said that in the past two months his office has been successful with three such petitions for defendants younger than 16. Mears said each of those petitions took roughly a year.
“I know there are a lot of people who are struggling right now with the loss of this life,” Mears said, “but it’s important to point out that the criminal justice system can sometimes play a role in the grieving process.”
Mears shifts focus on guns
Mears said the broader problem that’s more relevant to Scrogham’s death is access to firearms, saying there needs to be a “serious and honest” conversation about the contributing issues.
“Too many kids have access to guns in our community,” he said.
When asked whether the root cause of the killing was guns or a lack of parental responsibility, Mears said he didn’t want to get into a larger conversation unrelated to solving the case.
A day earlier, IMPD Chief Tanya Terry expressed her agreement about holding parents criminally liable when their kids commit violent crimes. She urged parents, guardians and other adults to “step up” in keeping young people out of trouble.
“Like I said, parenting is not passive,” Terry said. “You don’t get to just say, ‘Oh my kid’s a teenager. They’re out doing God knows what.'”
Authorities have not said how or where the 14-year-old obtained the gun used in Scrogham’s shooting. It’s also unclear what charges, if any, the teen’s parent or parents could face.
Deputy chief commends detectives
Homicide detectives arrested the teen on June 3, nearly a week after Scrogham was shot, after reviewing surveillance footage and talking to witnesses.
IMPD Deputy Chief of Police Kendale Adams praised the lead detective, David Miller, who he said has worked “tirelessly” over the past three days to build the case against the teen suspect.
Adams acknowledged the Victim Assistance Unit for providing support to Scrogham’s family, with whom Mears also spoke. He also thanked community organizations working to mentor the city’s children and other efforts to prevent violent crimes, especially heading into summer.
“This is a very tragic case for our community, our agency and all the folks that do work in our community to prevent this kind of thing,” Adams said.
He called the killing an “alert” for everyone in the community to do more to help.
Scrogham’s death spotlights debate over downtown crime
Police officials have repeatedly said that Scrogham’s death is not indicative of what typically happens in downtown Indianapolis.
IMPD Assistant Chief of Police Michael Wolley said there are plenty of resources, such as officers and cameras in the city center, to ensure it’s a safe space. He said one homicide shouldn’t be a reflection of downtown.
“Downtown remains safe,” Wolley said. “I was just down there with my family two weeks ago.”
During her press conference June 4, the police chief said that crimes in downtown account for less than 7% of total crimes in the city.
According to IMPD’s 2024 annual report, the most recent one available, five of the city’s 173 homicides that year happened downtown. In 2023, two out of 169 homicides happened downtown, according to the annual report from that year.
According to IndyStar and IMPD data, there have been three homicides downtown since the start of the year.
Still, downtown Indianapolis has long been the target of Republican legislation from lawmakers who believe the city’s violence needs state intervention. One of the bills from last legislative session would’ve created a district within the downtown area where a special prosecutor appointed by the governor will have the power to prosecute crimes. It also would’ve forced Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett to form a power-sharing agreement between Indiana State Police and IMPD or cede control over law enforcement in the special district. That bill failed.
Contact IndyStar reporter Kristine Phillips at (317) 444-3026 or at kphillips@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Mears points to guns, critics who ‘assign blame’ in IU grad’s death
Reporting by Kristine Phillips and Mia Thurow, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kristine Phillips and Mia Thurow, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
