A 16-year-old has been charged with murder in adult court following a fatal shooting during an alleged marijuana transaction that left an 18-year-old woman dead in Beech Grove last September. According to court documents filed Monday in Marion County, Emanuel Carter faces charges related to the Sept. 29, 2024, killing of Makayla Bauman.
Officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were called to the 5900 block of Riva Ridge Drive on a report of a person shot. Upon arrival, they found Bauman suffering from a gunshot wound. She was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
The investigation later revealed the shooting had occurred at the Park View at Beech Grove Apartments. Carter, identified as a suspect, was arrested the following day. According to witness statements included in the court filings, Bauman and another individual were in a vehicle intending to sell marijuana to someone known only as “man man,” later identified as Carter.
The deal had been arranged through the social media app Snapchat. During the attempted transaction, Carter and another male allegedly approached the vehicle and pointed guns at the occupants, demanding, “Give me everything, do you want to die?” The witness stated he immediately put the car in reverse to escape, at which point Carter and the other man opened fire.
Bauman, seated in the passenger seat, was struck by gunfire. Investigators noted a single bullet hole in the passenger side front door. At the scene, officers recovered both 9mm and 10mm shell casings, indicating that two firearms had been discharged.
The witness, who later identified Carter as the shooter, said they had been classmates at Beech Grove High School. In a subsequent interview, the witness again confirmed Carter as the individual who both robbed and fired at his vehicle. He was unable to clearly identify the second suspect.
Police traced the suspects to a residence in the 3200 block of E. 34th Street in Indianapolis. Carter and two others were detained. During an interview, Carter told investigators he was staying with a friend at the Park View apartments and had participated in a marijuana transaction. He claimed the occupants of the vehicle pulled a gun, prompting his companion to draw two firearms and open fire.
Carter denied possessing a weapon or firing any shots, stating he fled the scene once the vehicle began driving away. However, another witness later informed police that Carter had spoken about plans to “rob a ‘white boy’ of some marijuana” and saw Carter in possession of black handguns prior to the incident. Carter is scheduled to appear in Marion County court for his initial hearing Wednesday afternoon.