In the early evening of March 27, 2023, on the near west side of Indianapolis, a sense of unease settled over the Maple Creek Village Apartments. It was just after 6:30 p.m. when the sharp report of gunfire shattered the day's calm. Seventeen-year-old Coreon Ta'rell Waites, a Black male, was outside of building 21 when he was struck by gunfire. In a desperate attempt to find help, he managed to run into a common stairwell of the apartment building before collapsing.
Around 6:40 p.m.,
officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department responded to a call of a person shot in the 3800 block of West Michigan Street. Inside the stairwell, they discovered Waites suffering from gunshot injuries. He was rushed to Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital in a fight for his life, but tragically, his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
The death of the teenager marked the fifth homicide within a one-mile radius of that location in 2023, adding to a growing concern among residents about a surge in unsolved violent crimes in their community. The investigation into the shooting was immediately taken over by homicide detectives.
As of the latest available information, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Coreon Ta’rell Waites, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Detectives have urged anyone with information to come forward and have provided contact information for the lead detective on the case, as well as the anonymous tip line for Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana. The community, still grappling with the loss, awaits answers and justice for the young life that was cut short.
