'Vibrant spirit' Johnny Purchase killed while reaching out to Indianapolis youth

Johnny Purchase worked a number of different jobs in his lifetime, his son said. 

He sold insurance, worked as a mortgage broker and assisted pastors at a number of Christian organizations over the years. But one thing remained constant: He always found time to volunteer.

"Wherever he was, he tried to make an impact in the community," Jonathan Purchase said of his father. 

Johnny Purchase, a youth-engagement specialist at the Edna Martin Christian Center, was shot and killed Jan. 12 while going door-to-door handing out program fliers to young people near East 25th Street and Keystone Avenue. Police have not released any details about the shooting and said no suspects have been taken in to custody.

Purchase, known to many as Mr. Johnny, was born in Charleston, Missouri, but spent most of the last 30 years in Indianapolis, according to family. He joined the Edna Martin Christian Center in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood in 2019, initially working as a youth re-engagement facilitator before taking on a full-time position as a family success coach. 

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“His main role or task was to engage the youth through outreach," Immanuel Ivey, Purchase's work supervisor at Edna Martin, said. "He was in charge of supervising the youth, making sure they were safe, making sure they’re doing their tasks…His whole role was really geared around the youth.” 

Although he was 60 years old, Purchase had a "vibrant spirit," which helped him connect with young people, according to Ivey. Purchase would often take kids to the gym to workout and play basketball, keeping them busy and out of trouble.

He would pick kids up and drop them off after various trainings and programs, and, occasionally, he would take them out to eat "so they could see there’s really something out here rather than just going to McDonald’s," Ivey added.

"Those small things Johnny did really made it possible for us to reach our performance measures and keep the youth engaged throughout the year," he said. "All of our youth that crossed his path loved him because they knew that he loved them. You knew it was more than just a job and a paycheck for him."

Local impact

Community members and top city officials alike have mourned Purchase and remembered the impact of his work in the days since his death. 

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett at a vigil for Purchase last week called him a "shining light" in the neighborhoods in which he worked. Hogsett noted Purchase was killed while doing street outreach work with a goal of "ending violence in our community.”

"He was sharing God’s light with others," Hogsett said. "Illuminating their way toward a better future."

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randal Taylor echoed the mayor's remarks, saying Purchase died "trying to make things better" for the people in his neighborhood. 

"We can look at this and say this is a defeat. It’s not a defeat," Taylor said. "Mr. Johnny went out on a victory, making a difference. He’s going to be remembered for that.”

Friends and colleagues at the vigil recalled Purchase's strong faith and described him as an "unsung hero" in the city — someone whose name might not be widely known but whose work is felt throughout the community.

Dealing with violence

The increasing violence in Indianapolis and how to reduce it has become a hot-button issue in recent years. 

Indianapolis police in 2020 recorded a total of 215 criminal homicides, the most in a single year in the city's history, according to an IndyStar analysis of homicide data. Another 30 non-criminal homicides — incidents where a killing is deemed justified, like in situations of self-defense — were also reported. 

The new year has not seen much improvement. Indianapolis has recorded at least 21 homicides as of Tuesday afternoon. Over the weekend, five people and an unborn child were killed in what city police say was the largest mass casualty shooting in more than a decade.

At a recent city public safety update, Community Violence Reduction Director Shonna Majors indicated intervention work and a heavier focus on violence interrupters — people in communities who can make contact with potential shooters and breakup cycles of violence and retaliation killings — will be important tactics to reduce crime in 2021.

"This work is extremely difficult, and it takes a lot of heart to do this work," Majors said at the meeting. She added that the city is planning to create a fellowship to help people the city says are at high risk of being involved in gun violence — the Indy Johnny Purchase Peace Fellowship.

For Jonathan Purchase and his six siblings, getting justice for their father is at the top of their minds.

“My dad did everything for the community," Jonathan Purchase said. "I need the community to now stand up for him by coming forward with information.”

The family will hold a funeral service in Indianapolis before Purchase is ultimately buried in his Missouri hometown. There is a GoFundMe page to cover those costs, but the remaining donations will be used to start a fund for youth community work in Indianapolis, according to family.

Anyone with information about this incident should call the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477 or (TIPS).

Contact Lawrence Andrea at 317-775-4313 or landrea@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @lawrencegandrea.