In a quiet Greenwood, Indiana neighborhood, the life of 13-year-old James Davis was tragically cut short in November 2024. The young male, identified as White/Caucasian, died from a gunshot wound sustained inside a home on Crescent Drive.
The incident unfolded in the early morning hours of November 10, 2024, when Greenwood Police received a 911 call reporting an attempted suicide. Upon their arrival, officers discovered James suffering from a critical gunshot wound.
He was rushed to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis, where he succumbed to his injuries on November 14. The initial report of a suicide attempt soon gave way to a homicide investigation as detectives delved into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Investigators learned that James had been with five other juveniles at the time of the incident. The group was reportedly playing with a gun when one of the youths, 13-year-old Johnny Lenel Neal Jr., allegedly pointed the weapon at James and fired. Following the shooting, the other four juveniles fled the scene. It was approximately 20 minutes later that Neal himself called 911 to report the shooting as a suicide attempt. The parents of one of the boys were reportedly asleep in another part of the house at the time of the shooting.
As the investigation progressed, Johnny Lenel Neal Jr. was arrested and taken to the Johnson County Juvenile Detention Facility. The Johnson County Prosecutor's Office filed juvenile delinquency petitions against him, including charges of murder and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. An initial hearing in juvenile court was scheduled for November 26. Authorities are also considering whether to waive him to adult court to face the charges. In the wake of the tragedy, James's family shared that he was an organ donor, and his gift would help save the lives of others.
