In the early morning hours of April 20, 2023, a tragedy unfolded on the east side of Indianapolis that cut short a promising young life. Fifteen-year-old Derrick Marsia Houston Jr., a male student at Arsenal Technical High School, was waiting for his school bus near the intersection of Breen Drive and Brentwood Avenue when he was fatally shot. A school bus driver, with other students on board, discovered the wounded teenager and immediately called for help.
Emergency services arrived at the scene around 6:30 a.m. and transported him to a local hospital in critical condition, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after. The students on the bus did not witness the shooting.
Derrick, known affectionately as 'Phat Man,' was a straight-A student and a member of the honor roll. He was actively involved in his school community, playing on the football team and participating in the 21st Century Scholars program. His family described him as a loving and kind individual who was dedicated to his family and had been working with a group at his school to prevent gun violence, the very tragedy that claimed his life. His father expressed profound grief, stating that his son had no known enemies, making the sudden violence a shocking and devastating event for their family.
In the wake of the shooting, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department launched a homicide investigation. Authorities appealed to the public for any information that could lead to the identification and apprehension of the person or persons responsible for Derrick's death. At the time of the initial reports, no arrests had been made, and police had not publicly identified any suspects. The family of Derrick Houston Jr. has been left to mourn their profound loss while they await answers and justice for the senseless act of violence that took him from them.
