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I-465 road rage shooting was allegedly triggered by loose trash in a truck bed

A teen and his pregnant girlfriend were driving home from work when police say some trash fell out of his truck, sparking a shooting on the side of the highway.

INDIANAPOLIS — According to court documents, loose cargo in the bed of a work truck led to a road rage shooting on July 21 in Indianapolis. 

The shooting hit an 18-year-old in the leg, which resulted in a broken leg.

It happened around 8:30 p.m. near the 10th Street exit on I-465 on the city's west side.

(NOTE: the video at the top of this story is from shortly after the shooting, before an arrest was made.)

That 18-year-old said he was driving home with his pregnant girlfriend. His truck had some trash from a worksite in Whitestown, and some of the trash fell out of the truck when he changed lanes. 

A silver Nissan hit some of the trash and started following the truck.  

The teen told police he got ready to pull over and talk to the driver of the Nissan about what happened. 

Instead, he said the car pulled up and started shooting. 

Credit: WTHR/Alex Almanza
Indiana State Police are investigating after an apparent interstate shooting on Indianapolis' west side July 21, 2024.

RELATED: 18-year-old injured in road rage interstate shooting on Indy's west side; ISP searching for suspect

The teen had his own gun and fired back twice before driving to a gas station to get help from police.

Indiana State Police interviewed the couple, who described the car the alleged shooter was in. 

IMPD called in about a suspicious car that was found parked in an isolated lot at Marian University. 

It was a grey Nissan with two bullet holes in it. 

Credit: Indiana State Police
IMPD tipped Indiana State Police that this car had been abandoned in a secluded lot.

RELATED: Court docs detail investigation that led to arrests in Whitestown road rage shooting

Police used license plate and surveillance camera video to track the car the day of the shooting and the day after. 

When police looked in the car, they found bullets that matched the gun the teen had used to shoot back. 

After obtaining a search warrant, police arrested the owner of the gun, a 19-year-old man, on preliminary charges of aggravated battery and possession of an altered handgun.

(13News does not release the identities of suspects until they have been formally charged by prosecutors.)

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