Inset: Makayla Bauman (G.H. Herrmann Funeral Home). Background: Apartment complex in Beech Grove, Ind., where Bauman was killed (WXIN).
A 17-year-old Indiana boy will spend decades behind bars for a shooting that claimed the life of an 18-year-old during a drug deal gone wrong.
Court records show Emanuel Carter, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, was sentenced to 45 years in prison on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to murder in the death of Makayla Bauman. He shot Bauman to death on Sept. 29, 2024, in Beech Grove, an Indianapolis suburb.
Carter apologized for his actions before he was sentenced, according to a courtroom report from local NBC affiliate WTHR.
A probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by local Fox affiliate WXIN and the Indianapolis Star said Bauman and her younger brother drove to an apartment complex to sell marijuana to Carter.
But when the brother drove up to make the deal, Carter and another person ran up with guns. One of them allegedly said “Give me everything! Do you want to die?” Bauman”s brother threw the car into reverse to flee, but Carter allegedly opened fire.
“I think I just got shot,” Bauman said.
One of the shots had hit her in the chest. The brother tried to drive to the hospital but he reportedly noticed his sister was “fading out,” and he pulled the car over. When police arrived at the scene, Bauman’s brother was tending to his sister’s bullet wound. Paramedics rushed her to the hospital, where she died.
The brother later told detectives that he and Carter were classmates at Beech Grove High School. He was not certain of the other alleged gunman’s identity.
Cops identified the other shooter as Carter’s brother, but they have not said if he is facing criminal charges. Carter reportedly told detectives that he and his brother were being robbed. He claimed that one of the people in the car pulled out a weapon. But cops found no evidence that Bauman or her brother were ever armed.
Detectives spoke with another witness who said Carter told him he was going to “rob a white boy of some marijuana,” the affidavit reportedly said. Cops arrested Carter the day after the shooting. Prosecutors filed murder charges against Carter in adult court.
Bauman’s obituary described her personality.
“Makayla was known for her vibrant, outgoing personality, lighting up every room with her smile,” it said. “She was compassionate, smart, and intelligent, always ensuring there was never a dull moment whether she was shopping or hanging out with friends.”
