INDIANAPOLIS — Police are investigating a shooting that killed one person on the far east side of Indianapolis Tuesday evening.
Officers responded to a report of a person shot in the 3700 block of Marseille Road, near 38th Street and Post Road, around 7 p.m. Jan. 2. They found a man on the front steps of the home who had apparently been shot.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Marion County Coroner's Office identified the deceased as 22-year-old Damon Lamar Swanigan Jr.
Police at the scene told 13News the homeowner called 911 to report that shots were fired during a possible burglary. The homeowner is OK and is said to be cooperating with detectives in their investigation, which is ongoing.
In an update Wednesday morning, IMPD said the homeowner had been released from police custody pending further investigation.
"I think that generally a prosecutor is going to err on the side of the person protecting himself. And that's what the statute specifically says," said Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner, who adds that Indiana has one of the strongest self-defense statutes in the country.
"When a person is on his property at his home, he is able to use deadly force to protect himself and to protect somebody from breaking in or coming in to harm them, if he reasonably believes that that force is necessary," Hamner said.
According to statistics from late November, IMPD said there were 14 justified homicides in 2022 and 38 justified homicides in 2023.
"You're seeing a lot of these home invasions and people protecting themselves, and lots of times, the bad guy is coming out the loser," Hamner said. "I hope that's a strong message that at least in Indiana, we're not going to stand by and just let somebody come in and attack you and take everything you have. We are going to protect ourselves, and we've seen that happen a lot. I've seen it happen to my county."
"There is no known threat to the public at this time," an IMPD spokesperson said in a message to 13News.
Detectives believe gunshots were exchanged between the homeowner and one or more suspects.
Investigators are working to identify at least one other person who was involved in the shooting and are asking the community to help identify that individual or individuals.
Police ask anyone with information about the shooting or video that may show the incident to contact IMPD Det. Douglas Morning at 317-327-3475 or by email at Douglas.Morning@indy.gov. Tips may be called in anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-TIPS.