By Ann Craig-Cinnamon
There’s a sigh of relief in Fishers and, more specifically, in the Windermere neighborhood after police made an arrest in the murder of 73-year-old Henry Kim. At the same time, there is sadness as the suspect is a 17-year-old youth. Two families are damaged and forever changed because of this senseless act of violence.
I live in Windermere and it’s more than a little unsettling to see crime scene tape in your own neighborhood, especially when that crime is murder. A lovely park with a pond in the Windermere neighborhood around 96th Street and Mollenkopf Road became a crime scene on the evening of Nov. 1 when Kim, a Windermere resident, was shot and killed while apparently out for his normal evening walk. His body was discovered by another resident walking his dog in the area of Windermere Boulevard and Parkway Drive.
Within the span of less than three days, Fishers police had a suspect in custody, 17-year-old Maxwell Winkler, who also lives in the Windermere subdivision. Police should be commended for not only the quick work that led to an arrest, but also for their professional handling of the situation. They were a constant presence in the neighborhood following the murder, which helped calm nerves, and they kept the public informed and advised throughout the investigation. There is something about the Fishers Police Department that instills confidence and competence.
At this writing, it is still unclear what the motive for the murder was or why a 17-year-old was allegedly carrying a gun. But we see this sort of thing happening all over the nation. It just doesn’t hit home until it happens to a neighbor on a street where you walk or drive every single day in a neighborhood that you thought was safe and immune to such things.
This is the second homicide this year in Fishers after a 20-year run of none at all. The thing that both have in common is that they involved teenagers who are now charged with murder.
Interestingly, when I recently sat down with Mayor-elect Scott Fadness and asked him to name his top three initiatives when he takes office, the third thing he listed took me by surprise. He mentioned the mental health of the residents of Fishers as a top priority. He was not ready to go into detail but indicated that he was working with police, fire and hospital personnel to develop a plan to care for and treat those who exhibit mental health issues in our community. Those are often the people who commit violent acts whether against someone else or themselves.
It struck me as an unusual agenda item for a mayor and I found it very proactive. Look for initiatives on that front to be announced in the coming months.
Fishers is still an extremely safe place to live. Two murders in 20 years is an incredible record. We should be proud of our public servants, both police and fire, and we should all stay alert and look out for each other.
In the meantime, our sympathies to the Kim family.
