On February 19, 2024, a fatal shooting occurred at a Waffle House in Indianapolis, Indiana, leaving one person dead and five others injured.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department disclosed that they responded to a distress call from South Lynhurst Drive in the southwest part of the city around half past midnight.
Officers reached the scene to find five victims with gunshot injuries. The police report indicates that the shooting started following an altercation between two groups at the restaurant, which then escalated and moved outside.
The fatal victim of this incident was identified as 35-year-old Crystal Kennebrew from Gary, Indiana. She was hit during the confrontation and succumbed to her injuries at a nearby hospital.
Of the injured shooting victims, one man who later checked himself into Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital is in critical condition. The rest of the victims, three men and one woman, are declared to be stable.
During the investigation, detectives recovered a handgun from the scene at the Waffle House and another from a vehicle at Methodist Hospital. Authorities are working to obtain surveillance footage and have urged potential witnesses to come forward.
Early reports suggested that the shooting resulted from a dispute between two groups.
As per local reports, Crystal Kennebrew was recognized as a bartender and partial owner of a pub in Gary, Indiana. Kennebrew was visiting Indianapolis during the NBA All-Star game weekend. Jaleesa Joseph, a childhood friend of Kennebrew, told the local newspaper, “Crystal was the one who pulled people together. Now, it’s her memory that’s bringing us together.”
Jaleesa Joseph further mentioned the community’s affection for Kennebrew. “She was the most memorable bartender in Gary because she never forgot what they drank,” she said.
Indianapolis had been bustling with tourists due to the NBA’s All-Star weekend, which concluded on Sunday evening.
The investigation into the shooting is still in its early stages, and the identities of the other victims or the status of the suspects have not been released yet by the law enforcement authorities.
