Deborah Benefiel, Indianapolis woman shoots & kills Kentrell Settles in road rage shooting after honking horn at driver who failed to move on green light.
An Indiana woman is accused of shooting and killing a driver after becoming enraged at the man honking his horn at her in a road rage incident.
According to police, the tragedy happened Friday, Oct 17th, at West 38th Street and Georgetown Road in Indianapolis just before 2 p.m.
Kentrell Settles, 21, was driving with his girlfriend when he honked at 23-year-old, Deborah Benefiel driving a Ford SUV after she failed to move at a green light. Settles then drove around her, incensing Benefiel who then followed his car, firing a single shot into it — hitting the man in the chest.
Honking horn leads to fatal Indianapolis road rage shooting
Settles’ girlfriend quickly drove him to her parents’ home for help, only for the 21-year-old man to be pronounced dead at 2.43 p.m. An autopsy later revealed the bullet hitting Settles on the right side of his torso & traveling to the front, WRTV’s Nicole Griffin reported.
IMPD officers used license plate readers to track down the suspect’s SUV. That led to her arrest for murder and criminal recklessness just a few hours after the shooting.
Prior to her arrest, officers saw Benefiel attempting to remove unique bumper stickers that led them to identifying her as the killer driver.
Police executed a search warrant at Benefiel’s East Washington Street apartment and found a .40 caliber Glock handgun in a purse, WRTV reported.
Senseless gun violence
The shooting left the victim’s family heartbroken as they reflected on the senseless act of gun violence.
‘He’s loved by so many people and so many people are going to miss him and a precious life was taken for no reason,’ said the victim’s father Kenneth Murff according to FOX59.
‘He didn’t do anything wrong and for it to still happen, it troubles you as a father,’ said Murff.
‘It’s beyond senseless,’ said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears. ‘The victim in this case honks his horn and ends up losing his life.’
Adding, ‘…she couldn’t keep her cool at a traffic light.’
‘This is just sad and disappointing where people think it’s okay to pick up a firearm and take an action like this and take someone’s life,’ said IMPD Officer Tommy Thompson.
‘It’s just a good remind to everybody to keep your cool on the road,’ reiterated Mears. ‘If someone honks their horn, it’s not the end of the world and it should never lead to gun violence.
‘A moment of anger should not cost someone their life.’
Prior to the shooting the suspect, Benefiel did not have a criminal history. Benefiel is being held without bond pending trial.
