Alton Ray Kerney

On the late afternoon of August 2, 2023, Alton Ray Kerney, a 19-year-old Black man, was shot and killed on the Near West Side of Indianapolis, Indiana. Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were called to the 1000 block of North Rochester Avenue around 5:45 p.m. for a report of a person shot. When they arrived, they found Kerney in the street suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical services pronounced him dead at the scene.

Homicide detectives immediately began an investigation. They learned from preliminary information that the shooting was an isolated incident and that the suspect had fled the area on foot. Investigators found eight fired cartridge casings near Kerney’s body and began canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses and surveillance footage. The daylight shooting was captured in its entirety by a surveillance camera on a local business. Additional video from other businesses in the area showed a man, later identified as Bryant Washington, and a shirtless companion following Kerney for at least 10 minutes before the gunfire.

Detectives were able to identify Washington’s companion using a distinctive tattoo on his chest. When questioned, the man eventually told police about an ongoing disagreement between Washington and Kerney and identified Washington as the person who shot Kerney. Investigators also uncovered a police report from the previous December that listed Kerney as Washington’s roommate. According to court documents, Washington later told detectives that Kerney felt Washington had "set him up" after a friend had shot at Kerney a few days prior.

On August 11, 2023, nine days after the shooting, police located and arrested 20-year-old Bryant Washington. He was subsequently charged with murder in connection with Alton Kerney’s death. The case concluded when Bryant Washington pleaded guilty to one count of murder on March 13, 2025. On March 26, 2025, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison, with credit for time served.