INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Two people were killed and one person was injured in two separate shootings minutes apart in Indianapolis early Monday morning.
The first shooting occurred at Skateland in the 3900 block of North Glen Arm Road shortly after midnight.
Managers at the skating rink say surveillance cameras showed the suspects walking out the front door. A few minutes later they were followed by the victim who walked to the side of the building where he was shot and killed.
“I’m hurt. I’m devastated. I miss my son. He didn’t deserve to die,” said the victim’s mother, Polly Anderson.
Polly says her son, Justin Anderson who is also known by his friends and family as “Scatter,” leaves behind four young kids and a grieving family that can’t make sense of the violence.
“Everybody who knew him was like family. He was a family person. Everybody who knew him loved him. No one ever had a problem with him. That’s why I don’t understand why someone would want to gun him down,” said Anderson.
Just 15 minutes later, on the city’s northeast side, police say 39-year-old Roger Smith died after being shot in the front yard of a home on Elizabeth Street.
With the help of witnesses police quickly arrested Adrian Parson for that murder. Investigators believe Parson and Smith had an ongoing dispute.
“We believe this is an isolated incident because these are two men known to each other. This is an ongoing disturbance where they’ve had problems in the past,” said Genae Cook with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Although the two killings are not in any way connected, police say a female victim showed up to the hospital and first reported being shot at Skateland. It was later determined she wasn’t being truthful and had actually been shot in the leg on Elizabeth Street. That woman is expected to be OK.
Photo on February 4, 2019 of shooting on E. Elizabeth St. courtesy of Ryan Liggett 
Photo on February 4, 2019 of shooting on E. Elizabeth St. courtesy of Ryan Liggett 
Photo on February 4, 2019 of shooting on E. Elizabeth St. courtesy of Ryan Liggett 
Photo on February 4, 2019 of shooting on E. Elizabeth St. courtesy of Ryan Liggett
In the meantime, Justin Anderson’s mother pleaded for the public’s help catching her son’s killer.
“It would make me a happy mother to know justice was served and whoever did this to my son was captured,” said Anderson.
As always anyone with information on either early morning homicide is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at (317) 262-TIPS.
