One person killed and two women hurt in early-morning shooting on Indianapolis east side, police say

What happened

One person was killed and two women were injured in a shooting on Indianapolis’ east side, a case that remains under investigation as police work to determine what led up to the gunfire.

Officers were dispatched shortly before 7 a.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026, to the 3200 block of Hawthorne Lane on a report of shots fired. When officers arrived, they found four people suffering from gunshot wounds at the scene.

Two victims were pronounced dead. Two others were reported injured, but police had not released updated information on their conditions in initial briefings.

Victims and injuries

Authorities had not publicly identified any of the victims in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Police also did not release the ages of the victims, the relationship among those involved, or whether the shooting occurred inside a residence, in a vehicle, or outdoors.

Investigators said two of the victims were found dead inside a stolen vehicle. Beyond that detail, officials did not disclose whether the stolen vehicle was connected to the motive for the shooting, whether it was used to arrive at or leave the area, or whether it had been taken recently.

What investigators have and have not said

Police did not announce any arrests on the day of the shooting and did not publicly describe a suspect, a possible weapon, or any immediate threat to the public.

With limited official information available early in the investigation, key questions remained unanswered, including:

• Whether the incident was targeted or random.
• How many shooters, if any, were involved.
• Where the shooting began and whether there were multiple scenes.
• How the stolen vehicle factored into the events.

Next steps in the case

In shootings with multiple victims, investigators typically seek surveillance video from nearby homes and businesses, canvas for witnesses, and document physical evidence such as shell casings, vehicles, and bullet impacts. Detectives also commonly rely on forensic testing and interviews with surviving victims when medically possible.

The investigation remained active as detectives worked to establish a sequence of events and identify those responsible.

Police have not released further details about the shooting, including the circumstances leading to it or the conditions of the injured victims, and the case remained open at last report.