In the early morning hours of May 20, 2021, in Indianapolis, Indiana, 12-year-old Day’Shawn Bills was spending time at his grandparents' home, engrossed in a video game with his family. It was a typical night that was shattered by the sound of gunfire. A drive-by shooting occurred, and a bullet penetrated the house, striking the young boy.
Emergency services were dispatched to the residence on the 3400 block of North Leland Avenue, near East 34th Street and North Emerson Avenue,
shortly before 3:40 a.m. Day’Shawn was found in critical condition and rushed to a local hospital. He fought for his life for a day before succumbing to his injuries on May 21, 2021. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department stated that they did not believe Day'Shawn was the intended target of the shooting, considering it to be a random act of violence. He was a seventh-grade student at Arlington Middle School.
In the wake of the tragedy, Day'Shawn's family and community members pleaded for an end to gun violence and for anyone with information to come forward. The police urged the public to contact their homicide unit or Marion County Crime Stoppers with any leads that might help them identify those responsible for the young boy's death. However, despite their appeals and the ongoing investigation, there have been no reports of any arrests made in connection with the shooting, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The case remains an open and painful chapter for a family and a city grappling with the senseless loss of a child.
