According to authorities, a 16-year-old Indiana boy is being charged as an adult in the shooting that killed an 18-year-old during a drug deal gone wrong.
According to court records, Emanuel Carter, who was 15 years old at the time of the shooting, is facing murder and robbery charges. He is accused of shooting Makayla Bauman to death on September 29, 2024, in Beech Grove, an Indianapolis suburb. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by local Fox affiliate WXIN and the Indianapolis Star, Bauman and her younger brother went to an apartment complex to sell Carter marijuana.
However, when the brother arrived to make the deal, Carter and another person approached with guns. One of them allegedly exclaimed, “Give me everything!” “Do you want to die?” Bauman’s brother attempted to escape by driving the car in reverse, but Carter allegedly opened fire.
“I think I just got shot,” Bauman said.
One of the shots struck her in the chest. The brother attempted to drive to the hospital, but he reported that his sister was “fading out.” He pulled over the car, where officers discovered them. When police arrived, he was tending to his sister’s bullet wound. Paramedics rushed her to the hospital, where she died.
The brother later admitted to detectives that he and Carter were classmates at Beech Grove High School. He was unsure of the other alleged gunman’s identity.
Cops identified the other shooter as Carter’s brother, but they have not said whether he faces criminal charges. Carter reportedly told detectives that he and his brother were being robbed. He claimed that someone in the car pulled out a weapon. However, cops found no evidence that Bauman or her brother were ever armed.
Detectives spoke with another witness, who said Carter told him he was going to “rob a white boy of some marijuana,” according to the affidavit. The day after the shooting, police arrested Carter. Prosecutors charged Carter with murder in adult court on Monday.
Bauman’s obituary detailed her personality.
“Makayla was known for her vibrant, outgoing personality, lighting up every room with her smile,” according to the notice. “She was compassionate, smart, and intelligent, always ensuring there was never a dull moment whether she was shopping or hanging out with friends.”
