14-year-old charged – A 14-year-old boy has been charged in the fatal shooting of Brett Scrogham, a 23-year-old Indiana University Kelley School of Business graduate. Prosecutors announced felony murder, attempted robbery causing serious bodily injury, and dangerous firearm possess
A 14-year-old boy faced the weight of a charge sheet on June 5—accused of killing Brett Scrogham, an Indiana University graduate whose life ended after a shooting in a downtown Indianapolis parking garage.
Scrogham, 23, was shot May 28 while he was inside a vehicle in the garage near the Indiana Convention Center. He died two days later of a gunshot wound to the head.
On June 5. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced the teen suspect faces felony murder. attempted robbery resulting in serious bodily injury. and dangerous possession of a firearm. Mears also said his office has filed a petition to move the teen’s case from juvenile court to adult court. The prosecutor said the 14-year-old has no criminal history, though officials have not released the suspect’s identity.
The arrest came days earlier. On June 3, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police homicide detectives arrested the teen suspect on the city’s west side.
In a June 3 statement, Police Chief Tanya Terry said, “While today’s arrest is significant, my heart breaks for everyone impacted by this tragedy. A young man lost his life, and another now faces allegations that will change his life forever.”
Terry later pushed back on the idea that the case reflects a broader pattern of downtown violence. On June 5, she told reporters the incident wasn’t indicative of typical activity in downtown Indianapolis, pointing to official citywide figures and the portion of that violence that occurs downtown.
She cited 2024 data showing five of Indianapolis’ 173 homicides happened downtown—less than 3% of all homicides. In 2023, Terry said homicides downtown were just over 1%, or two out of 169 citywide homicides.
Even with the numbers showing downtown violence as a smaller slice of the whole, GOP lawmakers have pressed for state intervention. The core demand has been that Indianapolis—particularly the downtown area—needs outside help as violence rises.
One proposal floated during the Republican-controlled state General Assembly’s last session would have created a special district within downtown where a special prosecutor, appointed by the governor, could prosecute crimes. That bill failed.
In 2025, Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, said he was open to the state intervening in the capital after gun violence during the July 4 weekend left five dead, including two youths.
Terry’s view was more personal. She told reporters that parents need to be more involved in their children’s lives to prevent them from getting pulled into violence. “Do something with your kid,” she said. “Don’t let them run off and do stuff like this.”
The public argument around the case has not stayed confined to Indianapolis courts. The shooting has drawn attention from Indiana politics up to Washington. DC. as elected officials and local law enforcement debate the teen suspect’s age. youth access to firearms. and what they see as gaps in how the homicide is being prosecuted.
On the Senate floor of the U.S. Capitol on June 1, Sen. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, said Scrogham’s shooting was indicative of a “crisis” tied to what he called “soft-on-crime policies.”
When Mears was asked about criticism of his office, his response on June 5 was pointed: “a lot of people” are “very willing to assign blame” before knowing all the facts.
The timing and the competing narratives have kept the numbers in play even as the case itself moves forward. Since the start of 2026. Indianapolis has had 57 homicides across the city. with three happening downtown—about 5% of all homicides—according to a homicide tracker by IndyStar. part of the USA TODAY Network. drawing from Indianapolis police data.
Taken together. the sequence of events—an arrest announced June 3. charges and a bid to move the case to adult court announced June 5. and a fast escalation of political blame—has left the public watching two battles at once: a courtroom fight over a teenager’s alleged actions and a wider fight over how Indiana should respond when gun violence touches the state’s capital.
Brett Scrogham Indiana University Kelley School of Business Indianapolis Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears felony murder juvenile court adult court petition Tanya Terry Jim Banks Mike Braun gun violence downtown Indianapolis homicides