Police say officers found the victim wounded in a building hallway on East Troy Avenue just after sunrise.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — A 29-year-old woman died after she was shot early Saturday on the south side of Indianapolis, authorities said. Officers responded around 6:45 a.m. to the 200 block of East Troy Avenue, where they found the woman with gunshot wounds in a hallway and sent her to a hospital in critical condition.
The case is being investigated by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide unit. Officials said the woman, identified as Brittany Nicole Kavanaugh, died after arriving at the hospital. Detectives worked through the morning canvassing nearby apartments and businesses near South Meridian Street for witnesses and security video. No arrests or suspect information had been announced as of Wednesday, and investigators have not publicly described what led to the gunfire.
Officers from IMPD’s Southeast District were dispatched after a report of a person shot just before 7 a.m. Saturday. Police said Kavanaugh was found inside a building on East Troy Avenue and was treated at the scene before medics took her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. “Our detectives are gathering evidence and speaking with anyone who may have seen or heard something,” an IMPD spokesperson said. Crime scene technicians photographed the hallway and collected shell casings as detectives knocked on doors along the block and checked for nearby cameras.
Authorities have not released a description of a suspect, any vehicle involved, or a possible motive. The Marion County Coroner’s Office will determine the exact cause and manner of death following an autopsy. IMPD investigators reviewed 911 logs and interviewed residents in the immediate area, including several who reported hearing a single burst of shots before dawn. The department said it is also checking license-plate reader hits and canvassing businesses along South Meridian Street for footage that could show people coming or going around the time of the shooting.
South-side neighborhoods near East Troy Avenue include a mix of older apartment buildings and small homes just south of downtown, with several complexes clustered around the Meridian and Troy intersection. Police data show that the area has seen fluctuations in violent crime this year, with several shootings under investigation in the fall. Kavanaugh’s death adds to a year in which Marion County has faced pressure to reduce gun violence while investigators balance a steady volume of nonfatal shootings and domestic-related calls. Community groups in the area have held recent gatherings aimed at connecting residents with victim services and grief support, according to prior public statements by local nonprofits and IMPD.
Detectives spent part of Saturday and Sunday reviewing doorbell and security camera video from the block and adjacent streets. The coroner’s office typically releases final autopsy findings within days, and police said they will provide updates if a suspect is identified or an arrest is made. If investigators develop a person of interest, the case could move quickly to an affidavit and probable cause review by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. Any charging decision would be filed in Marion Superior Court, with an initial hearing set shortly after an arrest. As of Dec. 10, no hearing dates had been posted in connection with the case, and police had not announced any warrants.
Residents described a quiet morning turned tense as first responders sealed off the block. Several people waiting for rides watched from behind yellow tape as officers paced the sidewalk and crime lab staff marked items on the floor inside the entryway. “It was still dark when the sirens started,” said a neighbor who declined to give his name. “I saw officers going door to door.” A maintenance worker at a nearby property said he had been asked to check whether any exterior cameras captured movement between 6:30 and 7 a.m. Drivers heading west on Troy Avenue were diverted for more than an hour as detectives processed the scene.
As of Wednesday afternoon, IMPD had not released additional details about suspects, witnesses or a motive. The coroner’s office is expected to release preliminary findings later this week, with police planning to share new information if developments occur.
Author note: Last updated December 10, 2025.