On the night of June 28, 2021, in Indianapolis, Indiana, 18-year-old Eric Colvin Jr., a Black male, was fatally shot in a targeted attack that also claimed the life of his 22-year-old friend, Justice Wills. The two were ambushed in a 2003 Ford Taurus parked at an apartment complex on the city's east side. Colvin had earlier sent a text message to Wills asking for a ride.
The shooting occurred so quickly that Wills was shot before he could even put the car in park.
The investigation into the double homicide stretched on for nearly two years, a period of immense grief and frustration for the families of the two young men. They publicly lamented the 'no-snitch' culture that they felt was hindering progress in the case and pleaded for anyone with information to come forward.
A significant breakthrough in the case came in May 2023 with the arrest of 33-year-old Lamar Ball in Los Angeles. Authorities identified Ball as the primary suspect, alleging that he was a hired hitman. According to the investigation, Ball had communicated with at least one of the victims through Snapchat, setting up a purported drug deal to lure them to the location where they were killed. An arrest warrant for two counts of murder had been issued for Ball in October 2022. His eventual capture brought a complex mix of emotions for the families, offering a degree of closure while underscoring the tragic and senseless nature of their loss.
