Police have arrested a man in Indianapolis for shooting his girlfriend and ten-month-old son. Officers were called to the scene at the 6100 block of 21st Street after an injured woman ran to a neighbor and told them she and her child had been shot. Court documents reveal that the woman was breastfeeding the baby when the shots were fired. A bullet struck the mother in her shoulder and the child in his abdomen, but both survived the attack.
The Affidavit states that Jerimiah Eldridge received a text message from his girlfriend earlier in the evening, in which she ended the relationship with him. The 21-year-old replied, telling the young woman he was going to kill her. Police also gained access to video footage showing Eldridge waving a gun around with other children in the room. After firing at the woman and child, the shooter sent her a text message saying he was sorry, but that he did want to kill her.
The suspect’s mother, Tiana Eldridge, said the couple had a “toxic” relationship and should not have been together. Domestic violence expert Danyette Smith addressed the case and said it can be dangerous for women to end volatile relationships without a “safety plan,” and advises they do so from a safe place and with protection in place.
The incident happened during a violent month in Indianapolis. Just days earlier, a child was shot after unknown suspects opened fire from a vehicle, shooting into the street. Indiana State Police said the car was reported stolen earlier that day and when officers located it, the driver sped away at speeds of up to 90 mph. When the chase ended in a crash, police arrested two suspects.
In a separate incident, a man and a three-year-old child were shot dead at a shopping center in the city’s northeast. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department received several calls reporting shooting in the area, and when officers arrived, they found the man and child in a vehicle with gunshot wounds. The 22-year-old man was dead, and the young boy died hours later in hospital. Police did not apprehend any suspects.
