In the late evening hours of August 13, 2020, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace in the parking lot of the Best Choice Fieldhouse in Fishers, Indiana, leaving a community in shock and a family heartbroken. Seventeen-year-old Thomas Pearson Jr., a young male, was fatally wounded in the incident. Another male juvenile who was with Pearson was also struck by the gunfire but survived.
The two were reportedly getting into a car when the shots were fired just before 10 p.m.
According to the Fishers Police Department, the shooting was not a random act of violence; investigators quickly determined that it was a targeted attack. Witnesses described the suspects as two males who fled the scene in an older, boxy-style beige Toyota. A description of one of the suspects was released to the public; he was said to be of average build with 'baby dreads.' The identity of the second suspect remains unknown.
Following the shooting, Thomas Pearson Jr. was rushed to an Indianapolis hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The Marion County Coroner's Office confirmed that his death was a result of gunshot wounds. In the days that followed, the community mourned the loss of the teenager, and Best Choice Fieldhouse, the site of the tragedy, increased its security presence.
Despite the initial leads and the belief that the attack was targeted, the investigation into the death of Thomas Pearson Jr. has grown cold. As of late 2025, there have been no arrests made in the case, and the suspects remain at large. The case is now considered an unsolved homicide, leaving a lingering sense of injustice for a life cut tragically short.
