WHITESTOWN — Police say a member of a cleaning crew arrived at the wrong address just before 7 a.m. Wednesday, and was shot by the homeowner, who fired from inside the house.
Officers were notified of a possible home invasion in the Heritage subdivision. When they arrived, they found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound that police say came from inside the home. Medical personnel moved her off the front porch and into the street to render life-saving aid, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting has left the community shaken.
"It's a little scary, but you know, you got to know the whole story,” Bev Selky, a Whitestown resident, said.
According to Whitestown police, the people attempting to enter the home were members of a cleaning crew who mistakenly arrived at the wrong address. A bullet hole is visible in the front door; police say the door was never opened, and the homeowner shot the woman through the door.
Questions have been raised about whether Indiana's stand-your-ground law would make the shooting justifiable. Jody Maderia with the Maurer School of Law explains.
"Usually I would say that shooting blindly through a closed door often triggers a prosecution unless the evidence strongly support statutory justifications,” Madeira said. “So basically you have to look at, does this qualify as unlawful entry or an attack on the dwelling?"
It is unclear whether the homeowner will face charges. Some neighbors expressed their own views.
"We had heard that he had shot through the door and killed her. Well, that would be wrong if you don't know who it is,” Selky said. “But if she's walking in my house, I still wouldn't shoot her."
"It shouldn't have happened,” Stephanie Spencer, a Boone County resident, said. “You know, don't shoot first, ask questions later. You know, answer the door, see who they are, see if they have the wrong house. Don't just take it upon yourself to shoot some innocent person."
Police have not released the name of the victim or said whether charges will be filed against the homeowner. They say they are working closely with the prosecutor's office.
