INDIANAPOLIS — Police are investigating after a man was killed and a woman was injured during a "running gun battle" in downtown Indianapolis Saturday morning.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, just after 3 a.m., officers were called to a Taco Bell in the 900 block of Indiana Avenue, which is located a couple blocks north of IU Indy's campus, on the report of "numerous shots fired."
Police say two vehicles were driving and shooting at each other. Officers arrived at the scene and found only one vehicle left behind.
Investigators also located a man and woman with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds. They were both transported to Eskenazi Hospital for treatment, but the adult male died from his injuries, according to police. The woman remains in stable condition.
A few of the bullets that were fired blew out some of the Taco Bell's front windows and left multiple shell casings in the street, according to police.
"I will state that, even though this occurred out in front of Taco Bell, Taco Bell was not involved, it was actually in the street," IMPD Captain Don Weilhammer said during a media briefing. "Unfortunately, Taco Bell had some rounds that came and broke a couple of their front windows. "
A Taco Bell employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said the restaurant was open at the time of the shooting. Several employees were in the building when shots rang out, though no customers were present. None of the employees in the building were injured during the shooting.
"The first thing was just being thankful that everyone inside was OK," the anonymous employee said. "It’s like a family environment here. You don't want to see anyone get hurt, especially from something so unexpected.
"We can fix some windows, we can't fix when greater things happen. The outcome could have been a lot worse, so I am thankful that (the employees) here were safe."
Investigators are still looking for the second vehicle involved in the incident. Officers did not give a description of the vehicle or the suspect behind the shooting.
“This is another example that we are consistently talk about is that you don’t solve your problems by resorting to violence," Weilhammer said. "If you have a problem with somebody, try to talk it out. If, in this case, you can’t talk it out, turn and walk away. Be the bigger person."
The Marion County Coroner's Office will help IMPD determine the male victim's exact manner and cause of death. MCCO will release his name once his family has been properly notified of his death.
IMPD is asking those with information on the incident to contact detective Gary Toms at (317) 327-3475 or Gary.Toms@indy.gov.
Alternatively, tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can reach out to Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana by calling (317) 262-8477, downloading the P3Tips mobile app or visiting www.CrimeTips.org. Anonymous tips that lead to felony arrests may be eligible for cash rewards of up to $1,000.
Hannah Follman contributed to this report.