Kianna Mimms was 18 when she was found critically wounded inside a crashed vehicle on Indianapolis’ near northeast side on the afternoon of Saturday, April 24, 2021. Responding officers initially treated the scene as a traffic crash but soon discovered she had suffered a gunshot wound. She was taken to a local hospital and later died; the Marion County Coroner’s Office confirmed a gunshot wound as the cause of death.

Mimms was a senior at Crispus Attucks High School, a soon-to-be member of the class of 2021, and had been accepted to Ball State University. Her family remembers her as a hardworking young woman who held jobs at Walmart, Amazon, and FedEx, and as a gifted artist and athlete who competed in basketball, volleyball, boxing and the regional spelling bee.

In November 2021, homicide detectives identified 18-year-old Bethany Shaffer as a suspect; a warrant was issued and Shaffer was charged with murder and carrying a handgun without a license in connection with Kianna’s death. If anyone knew Kianna, her movements that afternoon, or has information about the incident, please come forward.