Jaiden Gardfrey Obituary, Death; – An Indianapolis man has been charged with murder following an incident in which he allegedly shot through a bedroom window, resulting in the death of an 18-year-old during a dispute over a girl.
Izayah Holland, 19, was apprehended on Thursday by the Indianapolis Metro Police in relation to the fatal shooting of Jaiden Gardfrey. Gardfrey, aged 18, succumbed to his injuries the previous day on the near northwest side of Indianapolis after being shot once in the chest.
IMPD Northwest District officers responded to a report of a shooting around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the 900 block of W. 32nd Street. Upon their arrival at the residence near I-65 and Dr. MLK Jr. Street, they discovered an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound.
Emergency Medical Services arrived shortly after, at approximately 4:45 p.m., and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. Homicide detectives were subsequently summoned. The following day, the Marion County Coroner’s Office confirmed the identity of the victim as Gardfrey.
Investigations revealed that Gardfrey had not been shot at the location where he was found. Police executed search warrants at three different residences, all situated on the 900 block of 32nd Street:
1. The residence where the shooting took place.
2. The home to which Gardfrey initially fled, leaving blood on the windows.
3. The residence where Gardfrey was ultimately discovered.
Detectives theorized that Gardfrey was shot in the first home and then fled on foot to the second residence in search of assistance, leaving a trail of blood. The owner of the third home reported that he allowed Gardfrey inside, where the victim collapsed just inside the entryway.
Crime lab technicians later recovered a single spent cartridge case and a tan backstrap from a pistol grip outside the first residence.
Following a thorough investigation and interviews with witnesses, IMPD identified a suspect known as “Zay,” which was later confirmed to be the nickname of 19-year-old Izayah Holland.
Reports indicate that Holland had been involved in an ongoing conflict with Gardfrey regarding their mutual romantic involvement with a 16-year-old girl, in addition to previous disputes stemming from an altercation at school.
