Coroner identifies 6-year-old boy killed in reported accidental shooting

Update:The child was identified Tuesday by the Marion County Coroner's Office as 6-year-old Billy Ray Mack II.

Indianapolis police are investigating a child’s death in a shooting that they said appears to have been accidental.  

The shooting was reported Sunday shortly after 1 p.m. in the 10000 block of John Jay Drive near the intersection of East 38th Street and Mithoefer Road. The boy was taken to Riley Hospital for Children, where they died shortly after arriving.  

Officer Samone Burris with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said the shooting was reported as an accidental, self-inflicted shooting, but noted detectives are still determining what led up to the gunfire. At least one additional child was inside the residence at the time of the shooting, she said.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact detectives.  

Accidental shootings have increased significantly in the city in the past year. Indianapolis saw a 46% spike in accidental shootings after July 2022. In February, a 3-year-old shot himself in the hand.  

Indianapolis kids hit by gunfire:Even when they survive, deep scars remain

“A family’s life has been changed forever and, unfortunately, it is because of a weapon,” Burris said about Sunday’s shooting. “We will continue to stress to our community that gun safety is always, always the highest priority.”  

Contact Sarah Nelson at 317-503-7514 or sarah.nelson@indystar.com