INDIANAPOLIS — Court documents released following a fatal shooting on Indy's west side over the weekend detail the events that led to the death of Sapanna Harris-Williams.
On Saturday, May 3, at approximately 8:12 p.m., officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department received reports of a shooting, with one caller indicating that a man had shot his girlfriend in the head.
Officers located Harris-Williams in the passenger seat of a vehicle parked in the 7500 block of W St. Claire Street, where she was pronounced dead.
Witnesses told officers that a male suspect fled the scene on foot. Officers apprehended the suspect using a taser when he approached them without showing his hands and reportedly urged them to shoot him.
During the investigation, court documents reveal that detectives interviewed Harris-Williams' mother, who revealed that the suspect had sent a text to her husband earlier that day, which raised her suspicions about Harris-Williams' safety.
She also mentioned that an ex-girlfriend of the suspect, known only as "T," had been sending messages taunting family members about the shooting.
Detective Hoover obtained a search warrant for the Pontiac, leading to the discovery of a shotgun in plain view on the backseat.
Further investigation included audio recordings of the 911 calls related to the incident. In one 911 call, a witness could be heard saying, “I blew her brains out,” while claiming that the suspect had killed someone and was not leaving the scene. Gunshots could be heard in the background of the call, court documents stated.
In an interview, the 911 caller described how the suspect drove up in a gray Pontiac, declaring, “It’s a body in the car.”
The witness noted that the suspect was intoxicated, boasting about the shooting and saying phrases such as, “I shot that b***h,” and “I blew her brains out.”
Detectives created a photo array for the suspect, which was shown to the witness and Harris-Williams' mother, both of whom positively identified him as the shooter.
Detectives noted small scratches on the suspect's face and right hand, indicating a possible struggle.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to piece together the events leading to the incident.
IMPD encourages anyone with information about the incident to contact Det. Kristina Friel at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317.327.3475, or e-mail her at Kristina.Friel@indy.gov.
