A 21-year-old Indianapolis man is facing multiple charges after he allegedly shot two of his friends with a handgun he had been carelessly handling throughout the night, according to court records.
Joshua Ledford has been charged in Marion County with two counts of battery with a deadly weapon and one count of criminal recklessness for allegedly firing a gun inside an occupied home.
The incident occurred shortly before 2 a.m. on July 16 at a residence in the 1000 block of Denison Street on the city’s west side. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers responded after receiving a report of a shooting and located a man and a woman with gunshot wounds. Both were hospitalized in stable condition and have since been released.
Court documents state that witnesses had been drinking with Ledford earlier in the night and repeatedly asked him to stop handling the weapon carelessly. One witness said Ledford had displayed similar behavior in the past and had responded to warnings by insisting he could do as he pleased.
According to the affidavit, one of the injured individuals told investigators she and the male victim had stepped into a bedroom when Ledford entered holding the gun and began pointing it at them before it went off. The bullet struck the male victim in the arm and the woman in the underarm area.
A witness told police that Ledford tried to get into a vehicle immediately after the shooting, raising suspicion he intended to flee, but was stopped from entering. Officers detained him at the scene shortly afterward.
During questioning, Ledford reportedly took full responsibility, admitting he had been drinking and recklessly handling the firearm, and acknowledged that he never meant to pull the trigger or hurt anyone.
Authorities emphasized that such incidents are preventable, urging responsible gun handling to prevent tragedies.
Ledford appeared in court and was released on $8,000 bond under home confinement, records show.