Violent weekend leads to a pair of juvenile homicides, 19-year-old arrested for 2 murders

INDIANAPOLIS — A 19-year-old has been arrested for murder following a shooting that killed two brothers on Indy’s west side.

The violence took place during a deadly weekend that included several homicides, including a pair of juvenile homicide victims. Just after 6 p.m. Friday, the weekend got off to a deadly start when Rodney Ward Junior was found shot in the parking lot

of a BP gas station at 30th and Mitthoefer.

The 16-year-old later died at the hospital.

“Kids are still out here using guns as a means of conflict resolution and it’s really disheartening,” said Kareem Hines.

That killing took place less than a mile away from where Kareem Hines operates New Breed of Youth, an outreach program for at-risk kids.

The next morning, on the other side of town, just before 4 p.m. on Saturday, 12-year-old Isreal Offett and his 24-year-old brother Wayland Coe were both shot and killed in the parking lot of a business on West 38th Street.

“It almost feels like we’re in a war zone. It almost feels surreal,” said Hines.

Court records show 19-year-old Anthony Bean was arrested for two counts of murder for the killing on 38th street, which witnesses claim started when Bean felt the two victims said something disrespectful to a group of women outside a taco truck.

The violence brought the number of youth homicides this year in Indianapolis to 10. That almost matches 2024’s year-end total of 12, which is even more concerning because overall violence has dropped dramatically compared to last year.

For his part, Hines said reversing the youth violence numbers takes a community-wide effort.

“Everybody, this is an all-hands-on-deck problem,” said Hines.”Get up and get involved. This has to be a personal problem.”

Bean is now being held without bond pending the filing of formal charges.

At the same time, the homicide along Mitthoefer remains unsolved. Anyone with information about this incident should call Detective TyAnn Lambert at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or e-mail the detective at TyAnn.Lambert@indy.gov. 

Alternatively, they can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477 or (TIPS) to remain anonymous.