INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man has been charged with murder after police say he shot through a bedroom window and killed an 18-year-old during an argument over a girl. Izayah Holland, 19, was arrested Thursday by Indianapolis Metro police in connection to the death of Jaiden Gardfrey. The 1 8-year-old Gardfrey died the day before on Indy's near northwest side after being shot once in the chest. Izayah Holland mugshot The shooting IMPD Northwest District crews were called around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to the 900 block of W. 32nd Street on report of a person shot. Upon arrival at the scene, a house near I-65 and Dr. MLK Jr. Street, officers found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS crews arrived at around 4:45 p.m. and pronounced the victim dead on scene. Homicide detectives were then called. The next day, the Marion County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Gardfrey. Police soon learned that Gardfrey had not been shot at the house he'd been found in. They soon executed search warrants on three separate residences all in the 900 block of 32nd Street: Home 1: The home where the shooting occurred Home 2: The home Gardfrey first fled to and left blood on the windows Home 3: The home where Gardfrey was found. Detectives believed Gardfrey had been shot in the first home and then ran on foot to the second, trying to get help and smearing blood in the process. The owner of the third home said he let Gardfrey inside and that the victim collapsed on the floor just inside the entry door. Crime lab technicians were later able to recover a single spent cartridge case and a tan backstrap from a pistol grip outside the first home. Police investigation After further investigation and witness interviews, IMPD identified a man named "Zay" as the suspect. Zay was later found to be the nickname of 19-year-old Izayah Holland. Holland had reportedly been in an ongoing disagreement with Gardfrey concerning an ongoing intimate relationship they both had with a 16-year-old girl. The two also had other issues stemming from an argument at school, court docs show. On the day of the shooting, Holland had reportedly sent voice messages to the mother of Gardfrey's child saying "I'll kill y'all." Not long after, police allege Holland tracked down Gardfrey to the 900 block of 32nd and found him inside a bedroom. Holland reportedly opened the bedroom window and confronted Gardfrey and the girl. Police say this confrontation led to Holland shooting Gardfrey one time in the chest. Holland reportedly tried to pull the trigger a second time, but his gun did not fire. Detectives later obtained a photo of Holland holding a pistol with a tan backstrap that matched the one found at the scene. The next day, Holland was brought in for questioning. Interview, admission Police noted that Holland "began to immediately provide details of the incident" once the interview began. He said that he knows Gardfrey and stated he had been involved with the mother of Gardfrey's child. He said that recently she had been ignoring him. "He became upset because he felt he was being blocked," police wrote. "He called her repeatedly throughout the day. He became so upset he stated he did leave a message saying 'Time to die'." Holland said he went to the girl's house and knocked on her door to no answer, so he decided to go to her bedroom window. There, he looked in and saw Gardfrey. Holland claimed Gardfrey then rolled off the bed and grabbed a firearm, pointing it at Holland. The suspect said he then shot Gardfrey in self-defense and that Gardfrey then fled from the window. Holland said he chased the victim "but did not shoot at him anymore because he did not see the gun again." Police believed that Holland was lying, given that he was not making eye contact while speaking and at times closing his eyes altogether while recounting his story. When pressed for further details, he requested a lawyer. Follow-up Police later spoke with witnesses who said that Gardfrey never had any gun and that he never threatened Holland. Given this, Holland was preliminarily charged with murder. Holland was taken to the Marion County jail by IMPD wagon. An initial hearing has not yet been scheduled in his case and official charges have not been filed. Online court records show that Holland has been criminally charged once before with misdemeanor trespassing. This case was filed on May 31, 2024, in Marion Superior Court 35. He was given pretrial diversion. ...read more read less