Two teenagers arrested in fatal shooting of man in front of pregnant wife, daughter during online sale exchange

Police arrested two Indiana juveniles for allegedly shooting a man in front of his pregnant wife and 5-year-old daughter after, family said, the accused lured him into meeting them following a Facebook Marketplace sale.

“This wasn’t just two people exchanging items. His family was there. You had a small child there at the time of this incident,” said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer Genae Cook, WXIN reported.

Dusty Lawrence, 30, sold an item online and then used a social media app to arrange to meet the buyers in an Indianapolis neighborhood on March 28.

“Unfortunately, during the transaction, he was shot and later died of his injuries,” Cook said.

After investigating the case for over nine months, police arrested two suspects in connection to the deadly shooting. According to WXIN, prosecutors said the pair are both at least 16 and will likely be charged as adults.

Police have not released how they identified the teenagers as suspects in the shooting but said witnesses who provided information were key to the case.

Lawrence’s uncle, Jeff Rector, told the Indy Star the victim was a “just a good kid.”

“He didn’t have a bad word to say about anybody — unless you were a Patriots fan,” Rector said.

Following the announcement of the arrests, Cook advised anyone engaging in online commerce to meet buyers and sellers in “well-lit and well-populated areas.”

“Be safe. Make sure you know where you’re going and you’re comfortable where you’re going,” Cook said.