IMPD renews appeal for information in Kristopher “Kris” Sommerville killing nearly one year later

Case remains open after Feb. 25, 2025 fatal shooting on Indianapolis’ west side

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) investigators are asking the public to share information that could help solve the killing of Kristopher “Kris” Sommerville, who was fatally shot in the early morning hours of Feb. 25, 2025.

Police were called around 12:30 a.m. to the 3400 block of Beeler Avenue, near West 34th Street and Moller Road, after a report of a person shot. Sommerville, 36, was found suffering from gunshot wounds and was taken to a hospital, where he later died. The death was ruled a homicide.

What investigators have said about the circumstances

Investigators have indicated the shooting did not appear to be random. Public updates have described the incident as involving Sommerville after he left a liquor store with a friend, before gunfire erupted in the area of Beeler Avenue within the Eagledale neighborhood.

As of the latest public appeal, police have not announced an arrest or identified a suspect. No motive has been confirmed publicly, and detectives have continued to seek information about the events immediately before and after the shooting, including anyone who may have seen a vehicle, an argument, or other activity connected to the incident.

Why police often return to the public for help

Homicide investigations frequently depend on witness accounts, informal community knowledge and digital evidence that may not be immediately available to investigators in the first hours of a case. As time passes, investigators may re-interview witnesses, revisit earlier tips, and seek new information from people who were initially reluctant to speak.

IMPD has emphasized in multiple public-safety updates that community cooperation—particularly anonymous tips—can play a role in identifying suspects and strengthening cases for prosecution.

How to share information

• Anyone with information about the shooting can contact IMPD detectives directly through the department’s publicized case contacts.

• Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana by phone at 317-262-TIPS (8477) or 800-222-TIPS (8477), and through the organization’s online and app-based tip options.

Police are seeking details that may appear minor on their own—names, vehicles, relationships, communications, or timelines—but could be significant when matched with other evidence.

IMPD has asked anyone who knows what happened, or who may have heard relevant information in the months since the shooting, to come forward so investigators can work toward an arrest and bring the case closer to resolution.