Police were called to North Tacoma Avenue before sunrise Sunday and found three shooting victims.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A man was killed and two women were wounded in a shooting early Sunday on Indianapolis’ east side, prompting a homicide investigation after officers found the victims in the 200 block of North Tacoma Avenue, police said.
Investigators were still sorting out the basic facts later Sunday, but the shooting had already become another deadly case for Indianapolis police as detectives tried to determine who fired the shots, what led up to the violence and whether anyone fled before officers arrived. A woman was listed in critical condition and another woman was reported stable, making the case both a homicide and an active assault investigation with major unanswered questions.
Police said officers were sent to North Tacoma Avenue just after 4 a.m. Sunday, March 22, on a report of a person shot. When they arrived, officers found a man with injuries consistent with gunfire and two women who had also been shot. Medics pronounced the man dead at the scene. Emergency crews took both women to hospitals for treatment. Police said one woman was in critical condition, while the other was stable. The call brought officers, crime-scene technicians and investigators to a near-east-side block before daybreak, turning a quiet residential stretch into an active scene marked by flashing lights, police tape and a growing cluster of official vehicles as the investigation expanded through the morning.
Officials had not publicly identified the victims by Sunday, and police had not announced any arrests or named a suspect. Investigators also had not said whether the three victims knew one another, whether the shooting happened inside or outside, or whether neighbors reported hearing multiple rounds before officers were called. What police did confirm was the location and the condition of the victims after officers reached the block. The man died there. The two women survived the initial gunfire and were taken away by ambulance. One remained in critical condition, an indication that the injuries were severe enough to leave her in immediate danger. The second woman was reported stable, suggesting she was hurt but not facing the same level of medical crisis.
The shooting happened on the city’s east side, an area where Indianapolis police have repeatedly responded to overnight gun violence cases this year. The location on North Tacoma Avenue sits in a built-up neighborhood of homes and local streets where a predawn burst of violence can ripple well beyond the immediate victims, especially when investigators must lock down part of a block to preserve shell casings, trace blood evidence and map where people were standing when shots were fired. In cases like this, the first public account is often narrow because police release only confirmed details while detectives work door to door, compare witness statements and review any nearby surveillance video. That leaves many of the story’s most important points unresolved in the early hours, including who opened fire and why.
The procedural next step is a standard homicide review led by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives, working alongside crime-scene personnel and, eventually, the Marion County coroner on identification and cause-of-death findings. Detectives are expected to interview witnesses, collect forensic evidence and seek video from nearby homes or businesses that may help establish a timeline. Any charging decision would come later and would depend on whether investigators identify a suspect and present evidence to prosecutors. Police had not announced a briefing time or said when more information might be released. The condition of the critically injured woman could also shape the case in the coming hours, since her account may prove central if she is able to speak with investigators.
By Sunday morning, the scene reflected the familiar rhythm of a major violent-crime response: patrol officers securing the block, detectives moving in and out of the taped area, and neighbors waking to a street transformed by sudden loss. Public statements from police remained brief and tightly focused on confirmed facts, a common approach in the first stage of a homicide inquiry. Even so, the broad outline was clear. Three people were shot on one block before sunrise. One man did not survive. Two women were left hurt, one gravely. The street where officers first answered a shooting call had become the center of another urgent search for answers about what happened in the dark and who was responsible.
The investigation remained open Sunday, with police still working to identify the shooter and reconstruct the events leading up to the gunfire. The next major milestone is expected to be an update from investigators once victim identifications, witness interviews and early forensic findings are complete.
Author note: Last updated March 22, 2026.