5 shot, 3 killed by gun violence in less than 8 hours

A rash of shootings left two wounded and three dead in less than eight hours across Indianapolis Friday night and early Saturday morning.

The violence started on the Northeastside, around 9:15 p.m., just blocks away from one of the city's designated hot spots at 42nd Street and Post Road.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were dispatched to the 9000 block of East 39th Place on a report of shots fired. Minutes later, Lawrence police officers were dispatched on a run about a mile away in the 8900 block of Pendleton Pike on a report of person shot.

When the Lawrence units arrived at the location, they located two men in the parking lot of a Hoosier Mart suffering from gunshot wounds. Police later learned the two victims had been shot during a heroin buy gone bad in the Lexington Park Apartments on 39th Place.

IMPD Lt. Rich Riddle said the men had been driving a rented Hyundai--reported stolen when it wasn't returned--and were shot in the apartment complex during an alleged "narcotics transaction."

"Something happened, and an individual pulled out a gun and started shooting into the vehicle," said Riddle. "Our suspect and our victims knew each other, so I believe at this point our detectives may have a good lead on who our suspected shooter is."

There were two other people in the Hyundai with the victims when they were shot, but neither suffered injuries. They're cooperating with police, said Riddle.

Medics who responded to the Hoosier Mart transported both men to Eskenazi.

"(The front-seat passenger) was initially reported as critical," said Riddle. "However, he has been updated to stable condition. And the driver of the vehicle was also shot in the chest, however, he is in stable condition."

Not more than two hours after the first shooting, IMPD Northwest District officers were dispatched to the 3800 block of Bennett Drive on multiple calls of shots fired in the area, police said.

Units arrived in the area around 11:11 p.m. and found a young man who'd been shot multiple times outside of an apartment building in the Pangea Parkwest complex.

Emergency medical personnel arrived a short time later and pronounced the man dead at the scene.

Saturday morning IMPD identified the man as 19-year-old Gregory Paffumi. The investigation of the shooting is on-going.

The fatal shooting is the second the Pangea Parkwest complex has seen since April, when 66-year-old Patrick Wilson was found fatally shot to death inside the front door of one of the apartment buildings.

A man turned himself in to police in connection with that shooting a couple weeks later and is now facing charges of murder, robbery and carrying a handgun with a felony conviction.

"This area is not a stranger to us," said Riddle. "We are working hard with the officers and management to take care of some problems involved here in the apartment complex."

Police said a number of witnesses are cooperating with investigators and detectives do not believe this to be a random act.

About thirty minutes after the fatal Bennett Drive shooting, IMPD North District officers were called to the 4700 block of Crestview Avenue on a report of a suspicious Chevy SUV parked on the street. Police said the 911 caller indicated they heard "popping" noises coming from inside the vehicle, and when officers arrived on the block, they discovered a man with a gunshot wound to the head inside the Chevy.

EMS crews responded to the scene and pronounced the man dead.

Riddle said, at this point, the department is investigating the man's death as a homicide.

"We have been on three scenes tonight," said Riddle. "It's very concerning, anytime you have multiple people shot and killed in Indianapolis because of gun violence. We investigate these very seriously and we investigate all shootings thoroughly, it's just very disconcerting that individuals are using guns so much in the city."

Early Saturday morning, IMPD officers responded to yet another fatal shooting, this time on the Near Northside in the 3300 block of Carrollton Avenue.

Dispatch operators received multiple calls of shots fired in the area around 5:12 a.m. When police arrived on Carrollton, they found a man, later identified as 35-year-old Antwan Ogletree, inside a home suffering from a gunshot wound. Paramedics marked on scene a short time later and pronounced the man dead.

In a statement, police said witnesses told investigators that there may have been a disturbance outside of the home where the man was found dead. During the commotion, the alleged suspect fired shots into the residence, then fled on foot eastbound on 34th Street.

Call Star reporter Michael Anthony Adams at (317) 444-6123. Follow him on Twitter:@MichaelAdams317