INDIANAPOLIS — On Monday 35-year-old Donnie Sanders was killed after being shot during a break from his shift at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Elijah Hayes, 25, has been charged with murder in connection with the crime.
A witness told detectives he saw a person walk up to Sanders and say “you look familiar” before shooting him at point blank range, court documents say.
The suspect was noticed by the witness to be wearing dark clothing and a face mask.
Officers with IMPD responded to the scene around 9:45 p.m. and began collecting evidence as Sanders was pronounced dead at the scene.
During surveillance videos, the man later to be identified as the suspect, is seen with a backpack around the Indiana Convention Center.
He is seen again near the loading docks, but without the backpack.
According to court documents, investigators found the backpack under a truck at the loading docks. Inside was a Glock handgun with a magazine inserted and Hayes' forklift operator ID.
During the investigation, the shift supervisor at Lucas Oil claimed that Sanders was not the only employee that was missing following the incident. Another employee – that turned out to be suspect’s brother – was also missing.
The brother later returned to the scene with the Lyft rideshare app open on his phone. He claimed to police that he was simply messing with the app, according to court documents.
The suspect’s brother is not named nor is charged with anything at the time of this report.
During an interview with police, the suspect initially spoke about the incident, but when asked about the backpack he declined to comment.
-
Over 500 gather for community meeting with Indy Action Coalition
Over 500 Indianapolis residents gathered to discuss a new homelessness law and ICE enforcement at a community meeting on Thursday.
Southeast side tenants looking for answers after major flooding in apartment
Residents paid renters' insurance along with their rent each month. So, they thought they were protected. Until property managers told them their renters' insurance went towards the building.
Westfield Police investigating "suspicious" death, victim identified
According to a post on social media, Westfield Police responded to the 3900 block of Westfield Road to assist medics on the report of a person down inside a residence at around 7:24 p.m.
Jones remains focused on being ready to start Week 1 after new deal with Colts
Jones returned to the Indianapolis Colts team complex with a new two-year contract worth up to $100 million and a promising timetable for his return to play — the 2026 regular-season opener.
