Indianapolis man angry over stimulus money suspected of murdering 4 people, including 7-year-old girl

A man accused of fatally shooting four people – including a 7-year-old girl – before abducting his baby daughter over the weekend in Indianapolis allegedly flew off the handle following an argument over the coronavirus relief check, according to a local report.

Malik Halfacre, 25, allegedly killed the three adults and one child and wounded the mother of his 6-month-old daughter.

Police said officers were called shortly after 9:35 p.m. Saturday for a report of a person shot at an address on North Randolph Street.

During a Monday morning press conference, Deputy Chief Craig McCartt said officers arrived to find the woman, identified as the baby’s mother, with a gunshot wound to the back. She directed police to the home and told them more victims were inside before being rushed to an area hospital with critical injuries, McCartt said.  

Police discovered Eve Moore, 7; Daquan Moore, 23; Anthony Johnson, 35; and 44-year-old Tomeeka Brown inside the home with fatal gunshot wounds. But Halfacre and the toddler, identified by authorities as Malia Halfacre, were gone.

The baby was later found safe and Halfacre was arrested Sunday evening after he was discovered hiding inside the attic of a home about 4.5 miles from the shooting scene, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said.

Days after the murders, a family member painted a more detailed picture of what happened in the hours leading up to the attack.

Speaking to local news station FOX59, Wendy Johnson told local news station FOX59 that Halfacre was angry with her cousin, Jeanettrius Moore – the surviving victim and mother to Malia and Eve – because he wanted at least half of her COVID-19 stimulus check. The argument started Friday, the day before the shootings, Johnson said.

“He wanted some of Jeanettrius’ tax money, stimulus money,” Johnson said, recalling what Jeanettrius had told her of the events. “She had just got her money, and he wanted half of her money.”

Johnson said Jeanettrius responded by telling Halfacre: “You don’t deserve any of this. I work. I take care of our child. You don’t do anything.”

But Halfacre was allegedly unrelenting and said he wanted half of her check amount.

Jeanettrius offered Halfacre $450 and told him he could “take it or leave it.”

“He said, ‘I’m gonna get that money,'” Johnson said.

Moore was outside on Saturday when Halfacre showed up, “gave her an evil look and walked off,” according to the report.

When he returned that same night, he went into the house and allegedly asked: “Where’s the money?”

After allegedly repeating the question multiple times. Halfacre began rummaging through Moore’s pocketbook, according to the report.

“Daquan was trying to save his sister. He was taking up for his sister … He stood up and said, ‘You cannot have the money. You cannot have her money,'” Johnston said.

“He shot Daquan first,” she added. “He shot Anthony. He turned around, and he shot my Auntie Tomeeka. My Auntie Tomeeka said, ‘Malik!’ and he shot her again. He came back and shot Daquan for the second time and somewhere between little Baby Eve got hit somewhere and she was screaming, she was screaming.”

After Halfacre took the baby, Johnson said her cousin “ran for her life in traffic across New York Street and knocking on everyone’s doors,” according to the report.

Halfacre was previously jailed until 2018 for a shooting the year prior, according to the report. He was being held Monday on preliminary murder, attempted murder and other charges, according to Marion County Jail records. 

Police said the county prosecutor’s office will make the final charging decision.