In the late afternoon of August 5, 2019, a burst of gunfire shattered the calm at the intersection of Lafayette Road and Tibbs Avenue in Indianapolis. When the chaos subsided, 26-year-old Miles Cross, a Black / African American male, and a woman named Shainita Caffey were found inside their vehicle, both suffering from critical gunshot wounds. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, but their injuries proved to be fatal.
The brazen midday shooting launched an intensive investigation by local authorities who were determined to piece together the events that led to the tragic deaths.
Eyewitnesses at the scene provided a crucial breakthrough, recounting a chilling sequence of events. They reported seeing a man approach the victims' car from behind and open fire, striking Cross in the head. As Caffey attempted to flee the vehicle, she was pursued and shot multiple times. In a harrowing detail, it was discovered that Caffey had been on a phone call with a utility company at the time of the attack. Her desperate pleas for her life, in which she mentioned having a daughter, were tragically overheard during the call. A quick-thinking witness managed to jot down the license plate number of the vehicle the shooter used to escape, giving police their first significant lead.
The license plate information led investigators to Dwayne Lucas. Surveillance footage from businesses in the vicinity further solidified the case against him. The video evidence showed Lucas in the same car identified by the witness and depicted the vehicle tailing Cross and Caffey's car moments before the shooting. Armed with this evidence, police arrested Lucas and charged him with the murders of both Miles Cross and Shainita Caffey. During the subsequent trial, it was revealed that Lucas and Cross had experienced a significant falling out, though the specific motive for the killings was not detailed in court. After a three-day trial, a jury found Dwayne Lucas guilty on two counts of murder. On August 6, 2021, he was sentenced to a term of up to 65 years in prison for each count. Another man, Terrell Redd, was also implicated in connection with the murders, with prosecutors alleging that he drove the getaway car. His trial was scheduled to take place in September of 2021.
