Indiana man shot dead after loudly knocking on relative's front door, police say

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An Indianapolis man was shot dead Wednesday outside a family member’s Christian Park neighborhood home, officials said. 

Law enforcement officials said the victim had been knocking loudly on the front door of the home when he was fatally shot by a family member from inside, FOX 59 of Indianapolis reported. The shooting took place just before 7 a.m.

"The person who is the victim here was known to the people who lived inside the residence, so we’re trying to determine exactly what happened and what led up to this," Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Genae Cook said, according to the report.

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It was not immediately known what circumstances preceded the shooting. 

"We do know that the person came to the residence and was knocking on the door. What happened in between there is still under investigation," Cook said.

The victim was pronounced dead on his way to a hospital, the Indianapolis Star reported.

While the cause of the shooting was still under investigation, attorney Jack Crawford — who is not involved with the case — said the simple act of knocking on the door was not enough to justify lethal force under Indiana’s Castle Doctrine. 

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"Standing there and knocking is not enough to indicate you’re going to intrude or break into a home. You’ve got to make a move to try and get in," Crawford said, according to FOX 59.

"The Castle Doctrine would only protect the homeowner if there was an effort to intrude or enter the home," Crawford added. "The question is whether a reasonable person would see this as a risk to his safety."

Crawford said the individual who pulled the trigger could face a reckless homicide charge.