INDIANAPOLIS — A man who advocated for the west side of Indianapolis and was a staple in the entertainment community is being remembered.
Michael Chappel, better known as Mike Treez, was shot and killed Sunday morning in a triple shooting.
It happened around 12:30 a.m. Sept. 3 near West 37th and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. streets on the northwest side. Two other people were also hurt in that shooting.
Chappel was a local promoter in the city’s entertainment industry and one of the city’s leading advocates for hip-hop. He was also a DJ, radio host, husband and father. His slogan was “well-connected.”
“Mike was the kind of dude that said, if I can help you get it or do it, whether that’s putting you on an amateur stage or giving you the opportunity or critiquing your jokes or music or telling you what to do better ... what better ally to have in our community than someone like that. Someone who doesn’t tell you to give up,” Gregory Meriweather said.
Meriweather grew up with Chappel and became more like family than friends. He said Chappel had an energy and passion for his community that no one can replicate.
“All those people were able to experience this gift called Michael Chappel,” Meriweather said. “The energy that he gave the neighborhood, the energy that he has given the city, finding people like that ... it’s hard.”
Chappel was also one of the hosts of “Stop Beefin’ Radio” in Indianapolis. Through the years, he has helped mentor dozens of young artists.
“You know, he was pretty big in the industry, so he bridged a lot of gaps for artists,” Byron Odle said.
Odle was a young DJ when he met Chappel, saying he opened a lot of doors for him and that they became really good friends.
“He was a real uncle for everybody. That’s why you will hear everybody call him uncle. That’s what he was,” Odle said.
Chappel also cared about his community on the west side, especially Belmont Beach in Haughville. He helped restore the beach with his daughter, Ebony, and Tedd Hardy.
“I’m glad he got to live the way he wanted to,” Hardy said. “If you never got to meet Mike and you hear his story, you should probably believe it. Whatever it is or if he was a superstar, believe it. Mike lived a heck of a life,” Hardy said.
As many are left asking why this happened, friends and family are also asking for the community to continue Chappel’s legacy.
“If there are two words that we can utilize to remember him and keep his legacy going, it’s to ‘show up,’” Meriweather said.
So far, no one has been arrested in the triple shooting. Anyone with information about the incident should contact Detective Ronald Sayles at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or email him at Ronald.Sayles@indy.gov.
You can also report a tip anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477 (TIPS).