On a quiet Friday afternoon in Indianapolis, a simple horn blast became a trigger for tragedy. What should’ve been a mundane moment at a traffic light turned fatal when 23-year-old Deborah Benefiel allegedly opened fire on 21-year-old Kentrell “Trell” Settles after he honked at her, saying she didn’t move quickly when the light turned green. The shot struck him in the chest. Less than an hour later—and after frantic emergency efforts—he was declared dead.
It all started around 2 p.m. near the intersection of West 38th Street and Georgetown Road on the city’s west side. According to court documents and police reports, Settles and his girlfriend were stopped behind Benefiel’s green Ford SUV at a red light. When the light turned green, Benefiel’s vehicle didn’t move. Frustrated, Settles honked and drove around her. That small act—he says he was just trying to get going—set off a chain reaction no one could have foreseen.
The girlfriend told police that Benefiel followed them, yelling and gesturing wildly. She says she saw the shooter through her rearview mirror, and then heard a single gunshot ring out. The bullet struck Settles in the chest and shattered the rear passenger window of his car. His girlfriend, in a state of panic, leapt over and drove him to the 3600 block of Donald Avenue in hopes of getting help. When police arrived, the young man was already in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead at 2:43 p.m.
Detectives moved swiftly. Surveillance footage and license plate readers traced Benefiel’s vehicle, and a witness identified her in a photo lineup as the person who fired the shot. When they searched her East Washington Street apartment, they found a .40-caliber Glock handgun inside a purse — the gun she allegedly used. Before her arrest, police say she removed bumper stickers — including one with a cartoon “dumpster fire” — that had helped them track her car to the scene.
Now, Benefiel faces charges of murder and criminal recklessness. She’s being held without bond. Prosecutors and law enforcement have called this incident a preventable tragedy — one that exploded from a petty road dispute. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears echoed the sentiment: “A moment of anger should not cost someone their life.”
In the days since, the local community has been shaken. Social media profiles of the victim speak of a young man with dreams, family, and a life cut short by senseless road rage. Meanwhile, authorities urge anyone with additional information or eyewitness accounts to come forward and help piece together what truly led to this heartbreaking end.
At its core, this is a stark reminder of how quickly tension behind the wheel can spiral into irreversible tragedy. A brief honk, an argument, and suddenly an entire life has been extinguished. It asks us all: is anger ever worth that risk—and how many more stories will begin and end at a stoplight?
