On the night of April 1, 2026, the life of 21-year-old Rebecca June Carter, a Caucasian female, was tragically cut short in an apartment on the east side of Indianapolis. Emergency services were called to a residence in the 500 block of Carlyle Place, near Michigan Street and Emerson Avenue, around 11:45 p.m. following a report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, officers discovered Carter with a gunshot wound.
She was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition but was pronounced dead shortly after. The Marion County Coroner's Office later officially identified the deceased as Rebecca June Carter.
Initial reports from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department suggested that the shooting might have been accidental. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, a person who was present at the scene was detained by police for questioning. This individual was subsequently arrested in connection with the fatal shooting. Further investigation led to formal charges being filed against Louis Jenkins Jr., who was identified as Carter's boyfriend. Jenkins was charged with one count of reckless homicide.
Court documents revealed a more detailed picture of the events that transpired that evening. According to a juvenile who was present, Carter and Jenkins were on a couch together when Carter was reportedly playing with Jenkins' gun while on a FaceTime call. The witness stated that Carter had the gun in her hands and was kissing it. The juvenile's account described a moment when Jenkins raised the gun, and as Carter reached for it, the weapon discharged. In his statement to the police, Jenkins claimed that he did not typically keep a bullet in the chamber and that he was "playing around" when he pointed the gun at Carter and it went off. Following the shooting, Jenkins expressed immediate remorse, exclaiming, "Oh my god. I'm so stupid. I had one in the head." He then called his mother and told her he had accidentally shot Carter. There were also two young children, aged two years and two months, in the home at the time of the incident.
