INDIANAPOLIS-- A 19-year-old is dead and his family is searching for answers following a shooting on Indy's east side.
Just after 10 p.m. Monday, neighbors along East 12th Street were startled by gunfire.
Multiple neighbors reported the shots sounded like a machine gun and ended with a 19-year-old dead on the sidewalk outside a home near 12th and Grant.
"All of a sudden I heard what sounded like somebody lit off a brick of firecrackers," said neighbor Lloyd Davis. "It didn’t sound like a gun because I’ve never heard a gun fire off that fast."
When police arrived they found Jaden Thrasher shot outside near a vehicle in the street.
"I’m feeling pain and feeling hurt," said the victim's father Dajuan Thrasher. "They had to transport my son to Eskenazi for a senseless and heinous act."
Thrasher, who celebrated his 19th birthday last week, died after being taken to the hospital.
"Jaden was my heart. He had a loving family that loved him," said Dajuan.
"There’s no excuse for this type of violence and we need help trying to get it figured out," said IMPD Capt. Mark McCardia.
Police insisted the shooting appeared to be targeted, but couldn’t provide details on a motive.
A 19-year-old girl also suffered a graze wound and a 1-year-old boy suffered minor scrapes during the incident, but he was not shot.
"We're trying to investigate and see what is going on with this situation," said Pastor Fredrick Boyd Jr.
Fredrick Boyd Jr. is the pastor of Zion Unity Baptist Church, just two blocks south of the murder scene, where every Thursday he and others discuss ways to prevent violence in the neighborhood.
"From my perspective, it's because people don't value life. That's why it's so easy to take a gun and shoot somebody," said Boyd.
Monday’s killing took place just 9 days after 46-year-old Clarence McGee was shot to death just a half mile away on North Ewing Street.
While the two deaths aren’t connected, Thrasher's father wishes people would consider the pain that can be caused by pulling a trigger.
"Conflict resolution matters," said Dajuan. "Please come forward. Stop the violence. Put down the guns."
Police did not have any detailed suspect information to release and no arrests have been made.
Anyone with information about this incident should call Detective Douglas Morning in the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or e-mail him at Douglas.Morning@indy.gov.
Alternatively, they can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477 or (TIPS).