INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD arrested a man in the killing of brothers Jaquareous Mitchell and Jimmy Thomas, who were gunned down inside the Shell gas station at 34th Street and Emerson Avenue Saturday afternoon.
Martice McGee, 20, is being held on charges for murder.
According to an arrest report, a witness told detectives Thomas walked into the Emerson Food Mart — also a Shell gas station — at 3402 N. Emerson Ave., and McGee was in line to buy two 2-liter Faygo sodas on April 22 around 5:30 p.m. The witness said McGee then placed the two sodas on the counter and started arguing with Thomas.
The witness then told police Thomas handed his handgun to Mitchell before allegedly telling McGee, "If you got something in there, go ahead and shoot me." That's when the witness said McGee pulled out a handgun and shot Thomas.
The witness said he hid for cover and then heard four or five more gunshots.
According to the arrest report, another witness told detectives they saw McGee shoot Thomas and Mitchell inside the gas station.
Detectives collected the two 2-liter Faygo soda bottles and processed them for fingerprints, which traced back to McGee.
The arrest report says detectives watched surveillance footage, which matched both accounts from witnesses but also allegedly shows Mitchell walk into the gas station with a rifle.
According to the arrest report, surveillance footage shows Thomas handing Mitchell two handguns, who then walks out of the gas station and returning 20 seconds later with no guns in his hands.
The arrest report says 10 seconds later, McGee is seen in the surveillance footage take a handgun out of his pocket and shoot Thomas.
Detectives said the surveillance footage then shows McGee and Mitchell shooting at each other before McGee leaves the gas station.
Medics pronounced Mitchell dead at the scene, while Thomas was taken to a hospital but later died from his injuries, according to the Marion County Coroner's Office.
On Tuesday, detectives located and took McGee into custody for questioning.
According to the arrest report, McGee told detectives a man, later identified as Thomas, was arguing with him at the gas station before the man allegedly went outside to get his brother.
The arrest report says McGee told the man, "If you touch me or approach me, I will shoot you." McGee then allegedly admitted to shooting the man and said the man's brother started shooting at him, so he shot him too and ran out of the store.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office filed charges against McGee on April 30. His initial hearing happened Monday at 9 a.m.
Before the arrest was made, 13News spoke to Mitchell's longtime girlfriend about the shooting.
"His brother was his best friend," Jada Catchings said. "He was his brother's keeper. He died going out his brother's keeper."
Catchings and Mitchell have five children together with a sixth on the way.
"I genuinely don't know what to do with myself. I feel bad for his kids, my kids. I just feel bad," Catchings said. "This shouldn't have happened that way. He shouldn't have went out like that."
Catchings told 13News Mitchell and Thomas were out running a quick errand Saturday afternoon.
"He just was on his way to go get pizza. He went to go get Little Caesars," Catchings said. "I got the text message, he picked it up at 5:14 and then at 5:45 getting a call that he was dead at the gas station."
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact IMPD Det. Jose Torres at 317-327-3475 or Jose.Torres@indy.gov. Tips can also be made anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.