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Police say deadly shooting happened during illegal party at Indy events center

Police are investigating after a man died and two more people were injured in a shooting during a party at the Onyx Event Center on Rockville Road.

INDIANAPOLIS — An illegal All-Star party.

That's what investigators say a west side event center hosted over the weekend in Indianapolis.

Now, police are investigating after a man died and two more people were injured in a shooting shooting during a party at the Onyx Event Center on Rockville Road, near South Girls School Road.

Cellphone video captured the chaos.

It shows gunshots inside a pop-up party just after midnight Saturday, Feb. 17.

One man, identified by the Marion County Coroner's Office as 28-year-old Terrell Reese, was killed. Another man was shot and critically hurt, and a woman found shot was injured but considered "stable."

Terrell Anderson Jr. was supporting a friend who was supposed to be performing that night. He said he was standing near the back of the event hall when the gunfire erupted.

"It was like two waves of rapid fire," Anderson said. "It was close to me. The shots were as if I was in a gun range."

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He said the crowd was stunned by the sudden violence.

"Nothing. No arguments. It was a great time, and then out of nowhere, just broke out after the fire alarm went off," Terrell said. "I was the first one out the door. There wasn't too much analyzing for me. It was just get home to my kids and my wife."

"People just go to check out a few new rappers coming up and out of nowhere — shooting," Terrell's mother, Tasha Anderson, added.

Credit: WTHR
A sign on Onyx Event Center on Rockville Road announces that guns and other weapons are prohibited.

On Monday, the doors at Onyx Event Center were chained and locked. Bottles of booze were still littered the parking lot, and the place is facing trouble.

The Indiana Alcohol Tobacco Commission says the center's All-Star Weekend 2024 afterparty wasn't legal. In fact, IMPD and the Marion County Alcohol Task Force were at the facility Saturday waiting on backup for a premises check when the shooting happened.

"We have analysts that look at social media. We have people in the community who call us," IMPD Lt. Shane Foley said. "I think what this shows is our officers were aware and taking action, and unfortunately, just weren't able to get there fast enough."

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The ATC tells 13News Onyx Event Center, which is owned by Onam Business Group 2, LLC, has a catering hall permit, and a holder of that permit can only host private events.

After State Excise Police officers were made aware of ads for two "public" events to be hosted at Onyx Event Center during All-Star Weekend, the commission sent a cease and desist letter on Feb. 7 to stop the party.

Despite being served that letter, Onyx Event Center still hosted.

The party ATC says never should have happened, came to a deadly end.

"Now somebody lost their life in a place where it's not even supposed to be open," Tasha said. 

The ATC said there's a permit revocation hearing set for next week for the event center.

As for the shooting, police have not shared news of any suspects yet. If you can help, call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-8477.

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