Indianapolis shooting over Pokemon cards leaves man needing surgery

The value of Pokemon trading cards has boomed in recent years and this Pikachu Illustrator card sold for nearly $28 million in February 2026. Photo / Logan Paul

An argument over Pokemon cards ended with a man in handcuffs and another in hospital – a situation called “totally ridiculous” by police.

Police were called to a supermarket carpark on Saturday, April 11, at 6.51pm local time, where they found a man with gunshot wounds, local outlet WTHR reported.

The injured man was taken to hospital in serious but stable condition and underwent surgery, with his condition later upgraded to stable.

The suspected shooter was detained at the scene and two pistols were seized as evidence, according to WTHR.

“If it does turn out to be an argument over the Pokemon cards, I think it’s totally ridiculous,” Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department captain Don Weilhammer said, according to Fox 59.

“It wasn’t like somebody was trying to steal one from another person.

“I’m not a collector of them. I understand that some of them are very expensive.”

Officers believed the shooting was targeted and there was no active threat to the community.

A witness told News 8 the argument was near a Pokemon vending machine.

“I was coming out of the grocery store. I got into my car and I heard two gentlemen who were in an altercation.

The Indianapolis supermarket where the shooting happened. Photo / Google Maps

“He said the guy cut me in line and it’s all over a Pokemon machine,” the witness said.

Police were unable to speak with the victim at the time as he was rushed to surgery.

The value of Pokemon trading cards has boomed over the past five years, according to CNN.

Since March 2024, their value has risen by more than 145%, with buyers spending US$450m ($760m) on cards this past January alone, Card Ladder data showed.

Five years ago, influencer and online personality Logan Paul made headlines when he paid nearly US$5.3m for a rare Pikachu Illustrator card made in the 1990s – one of 39 made.

That same card sold this past February for US$16.5m.