Indy teen dies in gun sale gone awry, police say
18-year-old was detained near the shooting scene
When he was shot and killed Tuesday night in the middle of a residential neighborhood on Indianapolis’ west side, 16-year-old Christian Peters was supposed to be playing basketball.
That’s where his family believed him to be, but court records indicate Peters was killed in a gun sale gone awry that left another teenager wounded and a third facing charges.
Peters leaves behind many family members in Indianapolis, including three older siblings. He was a sophomore at Pike High School with dreams of one day playing football or basketball professionally, said his uncle Katumba Kashama.
“We will miss him a lot,” Kashama said. “That was my baby. There needs to be change with the guns. People are being killed every single day. It has to change.”
Peters died at a hospital from gunshot wounds to his head and neck. A second teenager was shot in the leg while fleeing the gunfire, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Teen facing murder charge in death of Christian Peters
As officers were en route to the 8800 block of Scotland Drive on a report of shots fired around 10 p.m., Mouhamadou Diba called 911 and stated he had shot someone.
The 18-year-old was detained near the shooting scene and is facing preliminary charges of murder and battery by means of a deadly weapon, jail records show.
Diba told police he was purchasing a firearm from Peters, who pointed the gun at him during the sale, and that he fired his own weapon in self-defense. An arrest affidavit for Diba doesn’t state whether Peters actually had a firearm and evidence at the scene contradicted Diba’s account.
Suspect gave conflicting accounts to police
Diba told police he was supposed to be buying a Glock 22 handgun when the shooting happened. He stated he took a rideshare and went alone to purchase the gun. In a subsequent interview, Diba said he and a friend took his father’s Toyota RAV4 to make the purchase, according to the affidavit.
The person he was buying the firearm from got out of their car and aimed a Glock 22 at him, so Diba fired his own gun before running away, he told police. Diba was returning fire during the shooting, his friend told police.
First Diba told police he didn’t remember anything about people in the car besides Peters, including the teen who was shot in his leg. Then Diba said he remembered a man with dreadlocks sitting in the front passenger seat of the car.
Investigators found a single shoe, away from where Peters was found after the shooting. The shoe helped investigators unravel what they believe happened that night, but who it belonged to and other details were not included in the affidavit.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make a final charging decision in the case.