On Thursday, January 28, 2021, six people were reported killed in Indianapolis by a 17-year-old man named Raymond Ronald Lee Childs III. According to media reports, the young man shot and killed his father, stepmother, two teenage relatives, and a pregnant 19-year-old woman expecting a baby soon (CNN, 2021). Given the nature of the crime committed, it is clear that there is a mens rea in this crime, which is the deliberate intention to take the life of a group of people. In this context, it is impossible to consider the massacre an act of self-defense and unintentional action since the offense was committed on purpose. Actus reus, in this case, amounts directly to the deprivation of life with the use of firearms. Thus, despite the lack of official data from the investigation, at this stage, it is already possible to identify the mens rea and actus reus of the crime committed.
At the moment, the person who committed the murder is in custody, and the investigation is finding out the details of the crime. However, this crime can already be categorized as a particular severity. In connection with the strict liability of the offense, there is no apparent need to prove the existence of a concurrence. In addition, Indianapolis laws provide for persons over 16 years of age as adults if the crime is severe (Thornton, 2020). According to Childs’ surviving brother, there was a verbal conflict between family members, which led to the shooting. The investigation finds out additional information and tries to establish the exact cause of what happened. From the crime analysis point of view, there is an evident intent and purposeful commission of mass murder. Taking a pregnant woman’s life will be an aggravating factor in the Raymond Ronald Lee Childs III case.
References
Sturla, A. (2021). Indianapolis teen charged with six counts of murder for allegedly shooting pregnant woman and his family members. CNN. Web.
Thornton, J. (2020). No place like murder: True crime in the Midwest. Quarry Books.