Indianapolis police arrest 16-year-old suspect, file murder charge in January shooting on Warman Avenue
Arrest follows weeks-long investigation into Rodney Nixon Jr.’s death on the city’s near west side
Indianapolis police have arrested a 16-year-old suspect and obtained a murder warrant in connection with the January shooting death of 37-year-old Rodney Nixon Jr. The case centers on a fatal early-morning gunfire call on North Warman Avenue, where officers found Nixon unresponsive inside an apartment building and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The deadly shooting occurred on January 20, 2025, in the 200 block of Warman Avenue. Police were dispatched around 3:40 a.m. to a report of a person shot. Separate reporting from the scene described the location as the hallway area of an apartment complex off Warman Avenue. Investigators also collected multiple firearms as evidence, and police said at the time that a person of interest was detained but later released while the investigation continued.
Timeline: warrant arrest, then murder charge
January 20, 2025: Officers respond to a shots-fired call on Warman Avenue and find Nixon unresponsive inside an apartment building. He is pronounced dead at the scene.
January 30, 2025: Detectives locate and arrest the 16-year-old on an existing warrant for dangerous possession of a firearm. School police officers assisted in locating the teen.
March 31, 2025: After additional investigative work, detectives obtain a murder warrant and take the teen into custody on that charge.
What police have said publicly, and what remains unclear
Investigators have not publicly detailed a motive or the relationship between the victim and the suspect. Police also have not publicly described what evidence led them to identify the teenager as the suspect beyond stating that detectives linked the teen to the homicide during the investigation.
Because the suspect is 16, police have not publicly released the name. Authorities also have not publicly indicated whether prosecutors will seek to file the case in adult court, a decision that can depend on the allegation, the charging strategy, and court procedures governing juvenile cases.
An arrest and a criminal charge are accusations. The suspect is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The case remains part of a broader set of investigations into gun violence affecting Indianapolis neighborhoods. Detectives have continued to urge anyone with relevant information—particularly witnesses who may have heard or seen activity around the apartment building in the early hours of January 20—to come forward to assist investigators.