Aliou Barry was found fatally shot along Lafayette Road as investigators continued searching for a suspect and motive.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Indianapolis police are investigating the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Aliou Barry, who was found with gunshot injuries inside a vehicle on the city’s northwest side on Oct. 23. No arrests have been announced.
Officers responded at about 5:30 p.m. to the 4100 block of Lafayette Road after receiving a report of a person shot. Police found Barry critically injured by gunfire, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators have not publicly identified a suspect or announced what may have led to the shooting.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has treated the case as a homicide investigation. Police said the circumstances surrounding the shooting remained unclear, and officials had not released a possible motive as of the latest reports. The investigation remained active several days after Barry’s death.
Police were close enough to the area to hear the gunfire and responded within minutes, according to local reporting. Officers secured the scene as homicide investigators began gathering information. Authorities have not publicly detailed what evidence was recovered or whether investigators have obtained surveillance video or witness accounts.
Barry’s death has also drawn grief from members of Indianapolis’ Muslim community. Basiru Jallow of the Al-Hikmah Islamic Center said the loss had deeply affected those who knew Barry. “Words cannot express what the community has gone through,” Jallow said.
Barry had been connected to the local Muslim community since childhood. Jallow said Barry began learning the Quran when he was young. A Muslim prayer service was held at a place of worship along 57th Street, and the Indianapolis Muslim Community Association publicly expressed sadness over his death.
IMPD officer Drew Brown emphasized the impact on Barry’s relatives as investigators worked to determine what happened. “We have a family that is grieving,” Brown said. Police have not said whether Barry was specifically targeted, whether he knew the person who shot him or whether investigators believe the shooting followed an earlier dispute.
A small memorial of flowers and a teddy bear was placed near the parking area where Barry was killed. Jallow said the shooting has renewed concern about gun violence and the loss of young people in the community. Authorities, however, have not released information suggesting a broader threat to the public or identified a connection between Barry’s faith and the shooting.
No arrest had been announced as the investigation continued. Police have asked anyone with information about Barry’s killing to contact the IMPD Homicide Office or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana. Investigators have not released a suspect description, and the motive remains unknown.
Author note: Last updated October 27, 2026.