Family mourns loss of 17-year-old killed in shooting
By David Williams
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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The victim was just 17 years old.
His family is left grieving and searching for the reason why their teen was targeted.
“I haven’t even been able to process this,” Ross Mitchell’s father, Ross Hunt, said. “It has literally ripped my heart out of my chest.”
“He was just an amazing kid, man,” Hunt said. “He had a lot of spirit, he had a lot of heart. He was my everything. He was absolutely everything I had. These people robbed me and his mother from his full life.”
Police say Mitchell was playing curb ball with his younger brother near East Ohio Street and North Randolph Street around 4:15 p.m. Monday.
Surveillance video tweeted out by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department shows someone walk in the alley and run away. IMPD said an unknown Black male wearing a light hoodie and dark pants walked from the alley and shot the victim.
Mitchell later died at Methodist hospital.
“To see that my son was murdered so cowardly, somebody had to sneak up on him and shoot him in front of his little brother, for no reason,” Hunt said. “This kid was getting ready to graduate. He was going to the military. He had huge plans.”
Hunt told News 8 Mitchell wanted to do mechanical engineering in the military. He says his son was athletic, full of energy and had a lot of ambition.
“He loved any kind of sports, he loved playing video games. He was more of a clown than anything; he just liked to have a good time. He loved to work out. He was in martial arts, he was in moi-thai kick-boxing,” Hunt said.
Mitchell’s family wants answers.
“I know something has to be done today,” Hunt said. “He has a lot of people who love him and care about him. This I promise you: We will be to get the people who did this. I guarantee we will.”
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