Whitestown police: Woman killed in shooting was part of cleaning crew that arrived at wrong home

WHITESTOWN, Ind. – A woman died following a shooting at a Whitestown subdivision in what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity.

Capt. John Jurkash, a public information officer with the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department, confirmed the shooting was reported at 6:49 a.m. Wednesday on Maize Lane.

Police found a woman dead on the porch. It appeared a shot had been fired from inside.

The call initially came in as a home invasion, and police investigated it as such. Upon further investigation, however, Jurkash said the home invasion element was “not the case anymore.”

It appeared the woman was part of a cleaning crew who had arrived at the wrong address. Officers attempted life-saving measures when they arrived, but the woman was already dead.

“This remains an active and ongoing investigation into the fatal shooting,” police said in a statement sent just before noon on Wednesday. “The facts gathered do not support that a residential entry occurred. We want to reassure the community that this appears to be an isolated incident, and there is no known threat to public safety.”

Several people were in the home and at the scene when it happened, Jurkash said. Investigators recovered a firearm.

Jurkash said the investigation was still in its early stages and police were questioning several people. He declined to comment on a possible suspect, as investigators were still trying to understand the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

“The loss of life is always a profound tragedy, and our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected. WMPD is committed to conducting a thorough and impartial investigation,” police said in a statement. “Our detectives are interviewing all individuals involved, and our Crime Scene Investigators are meticulously collecting and analyzing all relevant evidence to understand the full scope of what occurred.”

Police said they were working with the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office to make sure “every aspect of this case is handled with care and diligence.”

Whitestown police asked the community to “trust in their investigative process and refrain from sharing unverified information.”