It was a normal night at the gym before gunfire erupted on Feb. 6, multiple witnesses told police. The crowded fitness center showed no signs that trouble was afoot.
But Indianapolis police detectives learned that minutes before the shooting, three males had entered the VASA Fitness and began arguing with a gym-goer, described as a man carrying a black bag. After a brief exchange, the group started to exit toward the front. That’s when police say surveillance footage showed the man carrying the bag pull out a handgun and fire, striking two bystanders in the lobby as the intended targets ducked, according to court records.
Chaos ensued. Hordes of people ran to the exits. Those who couldn’t hid behind their machines. The flurry of activity ended as quickly as it started, one man inside the gym told IndyStar.
A 16-year-old was shot in the left ankle, an injury that could take a year of recovery, his parents told police. Another man was shot in the right calf.
Less than one week after the terrifying ordeal, Indianapolis police announced they’d made an arrest in the shooting following an investigation that included interviews with multiple witnesses inside the gym at the time, records from the gym’s entry scanner and surveillance footage.
More: ‘Mass chaos’: 2 shot, including teen, after suspect opens fire inside Indianapolis gym
Steve Valdez-Rivera, 20, is jailed in Marion County on preliminary aggravated battery, battery with a deadly weapon and criminal recklessness charges in the shooting.
Details about the arrest contained in a probable cause affidavit indicate detectives were first clued about Valdez-Rivera as a suspect after reviewing the gym’s scanning records, which showed the 20-year-old checked into the business about 8 p.m. Police then spotted him on security footage working out for several minutes on various machines.
About 8:10 p.m., the group of three men entered the gym, the affidavit states. The trio “spent time” in the business, a detective wrote, up until about 8:26 p.m., when police said they started arguing with Valdez-Rivera. Police said one of the men was seen passing his backpack back and forth between him and another member of the group.
Valdez-Rivera then started to walk through the gym, toward the front door, with the group of three following. Police said they appeared to be talking. When Valdez-Rivera reached the door, police said he pulled out a gun and fired. One of the men pulled out a handgun, too, and the trio ran out of the kid’s daycare area and left.
Four fired .45-caliber casings were collected from the floor of the business. Bloody towels used to help the victims were also found. The scene forced the gym to shut down for several days. A VASA representative told IndyStar the facility reopened Saturday.
Surveillance footage from restaurants near the gym showed Valdez-Rivera running from the fitness center after the shooting and going inside a Taco Bell. Police said he went into the business’ bathroom for a few seconds, then ran toward a Chili’s and up to 38th Street.
After identifying Valdez-Rivera through BMV records and old police reports, detectives found him at his home and took him into custody. A search of the residence uncovered a Taurus .40-caliber handgun and .45 caliber live round in his room and a Glock .45-caliber handgun in another room.
Police said Valdez-Rivera requested a lawyer during interviews. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will determine final charges.
IndyStar reporter Sarah Nelson can be reached at sarah.nelson@indystar.com
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: VASA shooting: What an arrest report says led to gunshots in Indy gym
Signup bonus from
