17-year-old charged as adult in murder of 18-year-old at Indianapolis gas station

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A 17-year-old high school student has been charged as an adult with the murder of an 18-year-old man who died after an April shooting at a gas station and convenience store on the east side of Indianapolis, court documents show.

Malachi May died two days after the shooting that happened around 11:20 p.m. April 15 at the Shell Oil station at East 34th Street and Emerson Avenue.

Sir Braylon Howell, of Plainfield, faces two counts of murder, a count of felony robbery, and a count of misdemeanor firearm possession by a minor. He was arrested on April 28, and his case was moved from juvenile court to adult court on Monday. During an initial hearing Tuesday morning in Marion Superior Court 31, Howell was assigned indigent counsel at the court’s expense.

Howell attends Plainfield High School, court documents say.

Officers responding to the shooting found May in a blue Dodge Dakota truck with a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to IU Health Methodist Hospital, where he died April 17.

Police told News 8 on April 16 that the suspect walked up to the man who died while he was sitting in a vehicle and opened fire. Officers say the man tried to drive away but crashed into a nearby retention wall.

Detective Christopher L. Morgan with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department responded to the scene and led the investigation.

Surveillance footage from the gas station showed two suspects approaching May’s vehicle before the shooting happened. The investigation revealed that May had been trying to sell a handgun, which may have been a factor in the confrontation. Detectives used surveillance footage, witness interviews, and forensic evidence to identify Howell as a suspect. Howell was located and arrested after detectives tracked his movements through social media posts and other investigative techniques. A distinctive green and white jacket matching the description of the one seen in the surveillance footage was recovered during a search of Howell’s home.

A social media post helped police find the gun believed to have been for sale, a Glock G19 Gen 5 9-mm pistol, at Wes Montgomery Park, a few blocks east of the station where the shooting happened.

IMPD said Tuesday afternoon that a jail booking photo of Howell was not immediately available to be shared publicly.

About The Author

See author's posts