INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD is investigating after two people were found dead in a far east Indianapolis hair salon overnight following a shooting.
Around 3:15 a.m. July 2, officers responding to a report of shots fired in the 10000 block of East Washington Street located a man and woman with gunshot wound(s) inside a hair salon in a strip mall on the southeast side of East Washington Street and South Mitthoeffer Road.
Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene. On Sunday afternoon, an IMPD spokesperson said their preliminarily investigation indicates it was a murder-suicide.
Wednesday morning, the Marion County Coroner's Office identified the two people killed as 35-year-old Fernande Chery and 34-year-old David Samedy. The coroner's office ruled Chery's death a homicide and said Samedy died by suicide.
Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin an investigation and have spoken to multiple people there, IMPD said. Police said while the business was closed, a gathering of people was happening inside prior to the shooting.
A woman, only identified as Athy, who was at the salon at the time said the gathering was a celebration of a soccer game.
"They said, 'Everyone come over here, we are going to have a DJ and some food.' So everyone pulled up thinking it was going to be a good night, but it went left," Athy said.
Just a few hours into the celebration, gunfire erupted.
Athy remembered talking with the female victim shortly before the violence sent people inside running for cover.
"[My cousin and I] were in the back, that's when everyone started hearing gunshots and running towards the back so we could go hide and stuff," Athy said. "We didn't know what happened. We didn't know who was shooting or what was going on. We just went to the back to go hide."
Athy said the female victim owned the salon and that the tragedy is a loss for the whole community.
"Knowing that you saw her right before...people can be here and then gone next," she said.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Detective Gary Toms at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-8477 or Gary.Toms@indy.gov.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.