INDIANAPOLIS — Two teenagers are now facing murder and robbery charges in connection with a fatal January shooting on Indianapolis’ north side, which authorities say began as a date before escalating into a violent crime.
Court documents reveal that 19-year-old Alexis Hawkins and her 18-year-old boyfriend, Brian Winston Jr., orchestrated a robbery that ended with the death of Jarrell Pryor. Pryor, a hardworking father devoted to raising his young daughter, was ambushed and shot near 49th and Primrose, just north of the State Fairgrounds.
“I’m broken inside. I’m torn. I’m tore up,” said Pryor’s mother, Tamekia Wiley. His stepfather, Travis Wiley, added, “He lost his life for going on a date.” Investigators say Pryor had messaged Hawkins with a simple question hours before his death: “When u free?” While Hawkins agreed to meet him, she allegedly coordinated with Winston to rob Pryor instead, reported the Indianapolis Star.
According to the affidavit, Hawkins admitted to being in Pryor’s car during the shooting but denied direct involvement in the violence. “It was a senseless act, and they didn’t get anything out of it, and they took everything from us,” Travis Wiley said. “You can’t escape this type of pain. There’s no running from it. There’s no getting away.”
Police say text messages between Hawkins and Winston link them to both the robbery and murder. Despite their arrests, Pryor’s family says justice won’t heal their loss. The family, who set up a GoFundMe to help with costs, recently celebrated the third birthday of Pryor’s daughter, Honey. “No justice will ever cure my broken heart. It will not ever bring my baby back,” Tamekia Wiley said.
“No justice will ever cure my broken heart. It will not ever bring my baby back,” Tamekia Wiley said. Travis added, “It really doesn’t matter if they spend the rest of their lives in jail. We lost, and we have to deal with this pain every day.”
Hawkins appeared in court last month, while Winston awaits his initial hearing. Both remain in custody without bond as the case proceeds. Meanwhile, Pryor’s family recently celebrated his daughter’s third birthday without him—a painful reminder of a life cut short.
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