In the early morning hours of Sunday, October 1, 2017, the life of 16-year-old Eugene Dobbins was tragically cut short in his own home on Routiers Avenue in Indianapolis. The male teenager was fatally shot in what police described as a heartbreaking accident.
That morning, residents of the home were awakened by sounds inside the house. Believing an intruder was present, a resident responded to the perceived threat.
It was only after the single shot was fired that the family discovered the supposed intruder was in fact Eugene. Investigators believe the young man had been either sneaking out of or back into his family's home at an unusual hour.
Authorities at the scene noted that there were no signs of forced entry. The incident was part of a particularly violent weekend in Indianapolis, but police were quick to distinguish this tragic event from the other criminal homicides that had occurred. They emphasized the accidental nature of the shooting, highlighting the profound grief of a family who had mistaken their own for a threat. No arrests were made in connection with the shooting, and the case was not pursued as a criminal matter by law enforcement, who considered it a tragic and unfortunate accident. Services for Eugene were held the following Saturday at the Open Door Church of Deliverance, with his burial at New Crown Cemetery.
