By Noah Crenshaw
Daily Journal, Franklin
GREENWOOD — Officials have identified the man who was fatally shot Wednesday while inside a van driving on County Line Road in Greenwood.
The man was identified by the Johnson County Coroner’s Office Thursday morning as Richard Donnell Hamilton, 43, of Indianapolis. He was the founder of the Indy Steelers youth football team in Indianapolis, a youth organization that mentors players by instilling them with the values of athleticism, teamwork, perseverance, sportsmanship and mentoring, according to their website.
The shooting occurred around 6:26 p.m. Wednesday on County Line Road near the Interstate 65 interchange. Hamilton was riding in the passenger seat of a white work van with a female driver when a gunman opened fire, according to the Indiana State Police.
When Greenwood police and firefighters arrived in the area, they found Hamilton unresponsive with a gunshot wound. He was later pronounced dead at the scene, police say.
No one else has been reported injured in the incident. The female driver was in OK physical condition Wednesday night, said Cameron Bottema, ISP public information officer.
Preliminarily, ISP detectives believe the work van Hamilton was riding in was targeted by occupants of a silver passenger car as they exited I-65 northbound to County Line Road. It is unknown at this time how many shots were fired or the exact motive of the crime, police say.
Detectives are asking anyone with dash cameras, who were in the area of I-65 and County Line Road in Greenwood Indiana around 6:20 – 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, to review their cameras and contact the Indiana State Police at 317-899-8577.
Anybody with information about this crime can also anonymously report information to CrimeStoppers at 317-262-TIPS (8477).
The investigation is active and ongoing. ISP is the primary investigative agency.
