A man has been apprehended in connection with a triple shooting that happened during a large gathering at a west side shopping area.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against Carlos Contreras, 21, in connection with the September 20 shooting.
Contreras is charged with three charges of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, battery with a deadly weapon, possession of a machine gun, criminal recklessness, and resisting law enforcement.
According to court documents, IMPD officers were monitoring a big event in the 5600 block of North Georgetown Road when they heard many gunshots fired from behind the Jimmy John’s restaurant at 5620 Georgetown Road. Officers discovered three men suffering from gunshot wounds.
Witnesses reported seeing a black Dodge Challenger leave the site. When the motorist refused to stop, officers pursued the vehicle. The truck became trapped on railroad tracks near Industrial Boulevard, and the driver, later identified as Contreras, was apprehended.
Police discovered an AK-style weapon and a Glock magazine in plain sight inside the vehicle. A search request turned up two firearms, including a Glock 19 handgun with a “switch” mechanism that turns the semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon.
Jimmy John’s surveillance video showed Contreras and another unidentified person shooting at the three victims.
The victims were struck within around seven seconds of entering the video frame. According to court filings, there was no apparent disagreement or disruption before the shooting.
Following the initial shooting, Contreras pulled a mini-Draco rifle from the truck and fired three more shots at the victims, who lay wounded on the ground.
The three victims suffered several gunshot wounds. One guy had 11 distinct injuries that necessitated immediate surgery. Police found 47 bullet casings of various calibers at the location.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears issued a statement regarding the charges:
“The spread of Glock ‘switch’ devices poses a grave threat to our neighborhoods. The defendant is accused of firing multiple rounds in seconds, leaving three people with life-altering injuries. I thank the community members who stepped forward to help investigators — your courage makes prosecutions possible. We will continue to pursue and aggressively prosecute anyone who uses these devices to terrorize our streets.”
Contreras was transferred to Eskenazi Hospital for treatment of his injuries from the incident, but he declined to be interrogated by police. Following his release from the hospital, he will be brought to the Marion County Jail.
The investigation is underway. Anyone with information is asked to call the IMPD.
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