A teenager from Marion County has been sentenced to life in prison for the fatal shooting of three individuals in October 2021 on the south side of Indianapolis.
A news release from the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office stated that Caden Smith has been sentenced to 189 years in prison as of Friday. Smith, following a five-day trial in August, was found guilty of the following charges:
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- Three counts of murder
- Two counts of felony murder
- Two counts of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, each a Level 2 felony
- One count of possession of methamphetamine, a Level 3 felony
- One count of dangerous possession of a machine gun, a Level 5 felony
- One misdemeanor count of dangerous possession of a firearm
- One misdemeanor count of resisting law enforcement
- One misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.
According to previous reports, Smith killed three people over two nights: 17-year-old Abdulla Mubarak, 18-year-old Joseph Thomas, and 22-year-old Michael James. Smith escorted the three people to a barren site in the 4400 block of South Meridian Street to demonstrate to them a pistol adapted to fire like a machine gun.
Officials with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department stated that they discovered the victims, who had multiple gunshot wounds, on October 12, 2021.
Smith was eventually recognized as a suspect following his correspondence with the three victims before the shooting. According to the announcement, investigators located the firearm used in the shooting in Smith’s residence.
“Once again, the sale of unregulated firearms led to the tragic deaths of three innocent people, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in the release. “This significant sentence is a testament to our commitment to holding violent individuals accountable for their actions. We are grateful for today’s announcement and thanks to the dedication of our deputy prosecutors and the investigators, justice was served for Abdullah, Joseph, Michael and their families.”
