Louis Jenkins Jr. acknowledged a round was chambered after Rebecca Carter was shot, say police.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A loaded chamber and a handgun pointed toward a couch are central to a reckless homicide charge filed against an Indianapolis man accused in his girlfriend’s fatal shooting.
Louis Jenkins Jr., 20, is charged in the death of Rebecca June Carter, 21, after police said a Taurus handgun fired inside an east-side home late April 1. The case is not filed as murder. Instead, prosecutors allege that Jenkins’ conduct with the gun was reckless enough to be criminal after Carter was shot in the neck and later died at a hospital.
The probable cause account begins with a late-night call to the 500 block of Carlyle Place. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers responded around 11:45 p.m. after reports of a person shot. Court documents say two 911 calls came from inside the home, including one in which a caller said Carter’s boyfriend had shot her friend in the mouth by accident. Officers found Carter with gunshot wounds to her neck and head. She was taken from the home in critical condition. The Marion County coroner later ruled her death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the neck.
Investigators said the key facts happened in a living room area where Carter and Jenkins were sitting on a couch. A juvenile witness told police Carter had Jenkins’ gun in her hands before the shooting and was on FaceTime with another person. The witness said Carter was playing with the gun and kissing it. The juvenile also told police that Carter told Jenkins to put the gun in her mouth. According to that account, Jenkins raised the gun, Carter moved her hand toward it, and the weapon fired after she either grabbed it or hit the trigger. The witness said Jenkins did not put the gun in her mouth.
Jenkins’ account gave detectives a different route to the same result. He said the juvenile had been pointing an empty Glock 19 at him. Jenkins told police he took his Taurus G3 from a cubby on the side of the couch because he wanted to show that he also had a gun for self-defense. He said he held it in his right hand, off to the side, while it was pointed toward Carter. Jenkins told detectives that while the firearm was pointed at Carter, his finger slipped, hit the trigger and the gun went off. That statement made his handling of the weapon the core of the charge.
The phrase that followed the shooting gave prosecutors another important detail. A witness said Jenkins stated, “Oh my God. I’m so stupid. I had one in the head.” Court records treat that as a reference to a live round in the chamber. Jenkins told detectives he normally did not keep a bullet chambered. He also said he was playing around when the gun fired. Afterward, he removed the magazine, threw the gun, called his mother and tried to help Carter by holding her neck, according to the records. During transport to the homicide office, Jenkins said he should have shot himself instead of Carter because his life was over.
Reckless homicide cases often turn on whether a defendant consciously acted in a way that created a serious risk of death. In this case, the public filings point to several facts prosecutors may use: the handgun was loaded, Jenkins had it in his hand, the muzzle was pointed toward Carter and other people were in the home. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said a group of friends had been joking around with a gun and using it in irresponsible ways. He said the consequence was that someone lost her life. Jenkins has not been convicted, and the court record does not yet contain a full defense theory.
The defense may focus on the uncertainty in the final movement before the shot. The juvenile witness said Carter’s hand moved toward Jenkins’ hand and may have grabbed the gun or struck the trigger. The same witness said he did not believe Jenkins acted on purpose. Prosecutors do not need to prove intent to kill for the filed count, but they still must prove recklessness beyond a reasonable doubt if the case reaches trial. The available records do not say whether forensic testing has identified trigger contact, whether the FaceTime caller described what was visible or whether any other witness had an unobstructed view.
The home setting adds context to the allegation. Police said multiple people were inside at the time, including a juvenile and two young children, ages 2 years and 2 months. There was no public report of the children being wounded. The shooting was not described as a break-in, robbery or exchange of gunfire. Instead, the affidavit describes a handgun taken from a couch-side cubby during a conversation involving another firearm. That detail may matter because prosecutors are likely to argue that the danger came from bringing out, pointing and handling the Taurus in a room where people were gathered.
Carter’s family has publicly remembered her as vibrant. Her godmother said Becca was fun and had a tenacious spirit. The family’s remarks came as the court file reduced the night to statements, weapons and timing. Jenkins told police he and Carter had dated for a year and called their relationship great and amazing. Those details make the case less about a claimed motive and more about what responsibility the law assigns when a person dies from a gun handled as part of casual banter. Carter’s family said they wanted people to know life is fleeting.
Jenkins was arrested, charged with one count of reckless homicide and later released after posting a $40,000 bond. His pretrial conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. June 2. The next stage may clarify evidence lists, witness issues and whether the case is moving toward trial or another resolution. For now, the filed charge remains the central legal consequence of the April 1 shooting.
The case stands at an early court stage in Marion County. Jenkins is out on bond, Carter’s death remains classified as a homicide, and the next public hearing is set for June 2.
Author note: Last updated May 4, 2026.