On the west side of Indianapolis, the night of December 2, 2016, ended in tragedy for 23-year-old Sy-Ayre Kyles, a male resident of the city. Shortly before midnight, Kyles was fatally shot at a Speedway gas station in the 6300 block of Rockville Road. A clerk inside the gas station heard the gunshots and promptly activated the security alarm, summoning the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department to the scene.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered Kyles inside a 2008 Chevrolet
Impala. The car’s windows were riddled with bullet holes, and shell casings littered the surrounding parking lot. Despite the immediate response, Kyles was pronounced dead at the scene. Several witnesses came forward, and police began looking for a dark-colored sedan seen leaving the area right after the shooting. Investigators believed the shooting was likely drug-related.
The investigation led to a swift arrest. On December 9, 2016, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department took 23-year-old Dontae Blount into custody in connection with the murder. Blount faced preliminary charges of murder and carrying a handgun without a license. Detectives asserted that drugs were a significant motive in the killing. Kyles's death was the 140th homicide in Indianapolis for that year, contributing to a near-record number of homicides for the city. The investigation involved reviewing security footage and interviewing multiple cooperating witnesses.
