Two more men have been charged in connection to the murder of former Indiana football player Chris Beaty this week.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office made the announcement on June 16, announcing that a grand jury had indicted Alijah Jones, 24, and Nakeyah Shields, 20, on murder charges stemming from the May 2020 shooting death of Beaty in Indianapolis in the wake of riots that shook the city. The Indianapolis Metro Police Department has said Beaty was shot and killed as he made his way through an alley near his apartment, moments after a robbery had taken place.
Law enforcement officials also charged Jones and Shields with five counts of armed robbery and a county of attempted armed robbery.
Last December, law enforcement officials charged 23-year-old Marcus Jayon Anderson with murder, armed robbery and pointing a firearm.
Earlier this spring, Indiana head football coach Tom Allen remembered Beaty and what he meant to the Hoosiers.
"He loved Indiana. He loved Indiana football and he loved people. He was a very caring and passionate person about things he cared about in his life. He was selfless and he was the quintessential example of LEO. I didn't know him prior to coming to coach here. I coached against him when he was at Cathedral and didn't know it. He really reached out to me from the very beginning and came and we met face-to-face and had some really great times together. It was very obvious from the very beginning, his love and passion for Indiana football. And then when I became the head coach, that continued, that love and support was unwavering. Just a special person to this program and university," Allen said.
At the 2020 Indiana Football banquet, Allen took a moment to recognize Beaty and his impact on the Hoosiers before handing out the first ever Chris Beaty Award, which was given to Christian Harris and Davion Ervin-Poindexter.
At the banquet, Allen spoke about the impact Beaty had.
"Chris Beaty was a player who came here as a walk-on from Cathedral High School and was an amazing Hoosier. Just so supportive of our program when I first got here as head coach. He embraced me, huge supporter of Indianapolis. My heart still hurts that we don't have him here with us anymore. He exemplified everything we have in our program. He allowed himself to use the degree he got here and the influence he had to make this world a better place," Allen said at the recent banquet.
Allen said naming the award after Beaty was done to honor what he meant to the program.
"Wanted to name the award after him to honor what he had done. He came here as a walk-on and earned his opportunity here, earned that respect and just continued to grow. Don't ever want him to be forgotten and that's why it's so special for us. Got a chance to talk to his mom, and I just know it meant a lot to that family as well. He's a special person," Allen said.
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