A tragic shooting incident in Indiana has led to the arrest of a 14-year-old boy, casting a spotlight on the increasing violence involving youth in the city. Authorities apprehended the teenager on the west side of Indianapolis, linking him to the death of a 23-year-old promising business student, Brett Scrogham.
Scrogham was fatally shot inside a parking garage around 6 p.m. last week, moments before he was scheduled to meet his parents for a baseball game, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD). He succumbed to his injuries two days after the incident.
As the community grapples with the shock of the arrest, the authorities have withheld the identity of the young suspect due to his age. The arrest has intensified discussions about juvenile crime, with officials expressing concern over the troubling trend of young individuals involved in such grave offenses.
‘I’m frustrated and disheartened to tell you that the person we believe is responsible for this is a 14-year-old child,’ IMPD Chief Tanya Terry tearfully said during a press conference on Thursday, according to WISH-TV News.
The incident has also prompted reflection on the broader issue of youth violence in the city. In recent times, four teenagers have been detained on murder charges, and several others have faced arrests for violent crimes, often involving firearms.
Commenting on the situation, an official emphasized the tragedy of the event, stating, “Let that sink in: 14 years old and arrested for murder. One young man tragically had his life cut short, and another is going to face lifelong consequences for his actions.” The statement underscores the profound impact of such criminal activities on both the victims and the perpetrators.
The tragic shooting downtown has sparked conversations about the urgent need for intervention to address the rising tide of violence among the youth in Indianapolis, as the community seeks solutions to prevent further loss and heartache.
‘My heart goes out to the family, friends, and loved ones of Brett Scrogham, who was killed.’
A 14-year-old boy was arrested in connection with a random shooting that left Brett Scrogham, 23, dead in Indiana
The chief told reporters that, to her knowledge, there is no relationship between the teenage suspect and Scrogham
The chief told reporters that, to her knowledge, there is no relationship between the teenage suspect and Scrogham.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office now has the authority to make final charging decisions involving the minor, including whether he will be tried as an adult or whether his parents should be held responsible, according to police.
During the press conference, Terry said she ‘100 percent agrees’ with holding parents accountable in criminal court, stressing that ‘parenting is not passive’ and that ‘active involvement matters.’
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett thanked the police department for its swift work.
‘While there are still more steps in the judicial process to fully hold this individual accountable, I hope this arrest gives Brett Scrogham’s family and all those who loved him some measure of comfort during this most difficult time,’ he said.
Aaron Green, whose father was murdered by a 17-year-old, told WRTV News, ‘I don’t think any kid wakes up and is born a killer.’
He started Struggle University, an organization that helps troubled youth deal with trauma and recognize early signs of distress through community activities.
‘I think it’s a cumulation of things that have happened over time’ he told the outlet.
Scrogham, a recent graduate of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, was on his way to attend a baseball game with his family on May 28 at Victory Field
Scrogham was found with from a gunshot wound when officers arrived at a nearby parking garage on Thursday around 6pm
‘And if kids don’t feel safe where they feel like they need to have guns, that’s an adult problem. That’s not a kid problem.’
Green believes in rehabilitation and encourages adults to create safe spaces that allow teens to open up and communicate rather than turn to firearms.
On Thursday, Terry echoed a similar sentiment, urging parents to ‘be nosy’ and proactive with their children and, if needed, reach out to organizations that can help.
‘This level of youth violence is not unique to Indianapolis. Other cities throughout our country are also seeing similar patterns,’ the chief said.
‘We cannot accept violence involving our children as something that’s normal,’ she added.
Under Indiana law, adult criminal courts have automatic jurisdiction over minors aged 16 and older who are charged with certain offenses, including murder.
Scrogham, a recent graduate of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, was on his way to attend a baseball game with his family on May 28 at Victory Field when he was found suffering from a gunshot wound in a parking garage.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries two days later.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make final charging decisions involving the minor, including whether he will be tried as an adult or whether his parents should be held responsible
Scrogham’s good friend and fellow classmate James Wilson said he was a proud, successful student
The latest tragedy comes as violence, crime and ‘anarchy’ have continued to plague the Midwest city in recent years
Scrogham’s good friend and fellow classmate James Wilson said he was a proud, successful student.
‘With him being top 100, him getting that was very impressive, and he was very happy to get that,’ Wilson told Fox 59 News.
‘He potentially saw himself investing in his own low-income housing and rental properties and maybe building some apartments or something like that.’
Robyn Collier told the outlet that Scrogham rescued her dogs during a house fire.
Scrogham’s death has also fueled debate over violence in downtown Indianapolis, including comments from Republican lawmakers.
On X, former mayoral candidate Rep. Jefferson Shreve wrote: ‘Families should be able to park downtown, walk to a ballgame, and come home safely. Public safety has to be the first responsibility of city leadership.’
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Tanya Terry said a 14-year-old boy was arrested on the city’s west side Wednesday in connection with the deadly attack, though his identity has not been released
The latest tragedy comes as violence, crime and ‘anarchy’ have continued to plague the Midwest city in recent years, Indy Star columnist Jeffrey Tompkins wrote in the wake of Scrogham’s death.
Tompkins, an urban planner and local to downtown Indianapolis, said the surge in deadly chaos has gotten so out of control that the community now has two options to choose from: anarchy or urbanism.
‘We do have to pick one. The cities Americans romanticize, from Tokyo to Paris to New York at its best, are not safe because their residents are gentler people,’ Tompkins wrote. ‘Far from it. They are safe because crime is not the expectation.’
He went on to mention other recent crimes that left innocent people dead, injured, or just flat out terrified, including when career criminal Demarcus McCloud, 46, set an IndyGo Red Line bus on fire on April 24, 2024.
Thankfully, no one was killed after a fast-thinking bus driver pulled over the bus and evacuated everyone onboard safely.
McCloud was booked into the county jail more than 46 times before he launched chaos on the city.
In July 2025, he was sentenced to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of malicious damage to property receiving federal funds and one count of malicious damage to federal property, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
