This story contains mention of domestic violence. Abuse can be reported by calling National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).
INDIANAPOLIS — Before Indianapolis police set foot on the scene of a deadly shooting Saturday morning, they encountered someone leaving the area who had a confession to make.
“I did something bad. I need to go to jail,” a man told officers as he emerged from his home in bloody clothes, according to court records.
When the man was taken to the agency’s homicide bureau, officers entered the north Indianapolis residence in the 3000 block of Armory Drive, east of the White River near 30th Street, and found 26-year-old Amber Cooley in the upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound. Doctors declared her deceased. Police also found a child in the home.
Amber Cooley was a kindergarten teacher in Preparation for the Faculty of Vitóriaschool officials confirmed.
Hours later, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrest of Robert Cooley, 25, the man who greeted officers earlier in the day, in the shooting death of his wife.
According to an arrest affidavit containing details of the case, detectives spoke with a witness who said there were “ongoing domestic issues” with the couple, and they had argued the day before. Cooley seemed “very upset,” the witness noted.
More: June 2024 Indianapolis Murders
Officers’ body camera footage captured Cooley stating, “I took my wife’s life,” as he left the home, according to the affidavit.
After his arrest, Cooley told police during interviews that he hit his wife and then shot her in the head, officers said in the affidavit.
Domestic violence advocates, who were not involved in the case, said intimate partner murders continue to be a serious problem in the city, especially when firearms come into play.
In Indiana, just over 42% of Hoosier women report experiencing intimate partner violence. The rate is equivalent to the fifth highest percentage in the country. Among men in Indiana, the rate is nearly 28%.
Firearms are the most commonly used method of domestic violence deaths – especially in Indiana. In the United States, more than half of domestic violence murders are committed with firearms. In Indiana, from 2021 to 2022, the rate skyrocketed to 89%, according to the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Celeste Evers, vice president of Mission Impact at Coburn’s Placewhich provides transitional housing for survivors of domestic violence, said she was concerned about the child police found in the home during the investigation.
“My concern right now is for the child… and for any child who has experienced domestic violence,” Evers said. “Children who witness abuse have a substantially increased risk of suicide and substance abuse disorders, and are more likely to be abused, perpetrate abuse, or commit a violent crime against another person.”
Police said the Indiana Department of Children’s Services responded to the scene after the shooting.
Cooley was booked into the Marion County Jail on a preliminary charge of murder. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will determine final charges.
Anyone experiencing intimate partner violence or stalking is encouraged to create a safety plan. A template is available at thehotline.org. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. Emergency shelters are available at the Julian Center, the Salvation Army or other local shelters.
Find help: See where to find housing, advocacy and counseling resources in central Indiana for abuse
Contact reporter Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: ‘I took my wife’s life’: Man arrested for wife’s murder in Indy home
