Late Saturday night, a mass shooting occurred in downtown Indianapolis, resulting in the hospitalization of seven minors, as reported by the police.
The children and teenagers, aged between 12 and 17 years old, sustained gunshot wounds in the incident, which took place just after 11 p.m. local time outside the city's Circle Centre Mall. Images from the scene were shared by CBS affiliate WTTV.
As of now, no suspects have been arrested. However, the Indianapolis Metro Police Department believes that more than one weapon was involved in the shooting. According to a police report filed after the incident, four boys and three girls were identified as victims. Indianapolis Deputy Police Chief Tanya Terry provided preliminary details about the incident at an early Sunday morning briefing, stating that all victims were in stable condition.
The police responded to the scene after patrol officers in the downtown area heard multiple gunshots nearby. They discovered six minors, among a larger group of children, suffering from injuries consistent with gunshot wounds. Emergency medical services transported all six victims to a hospital for treatment. Although one victim was initially in critical condition, their status has since been updated to stable. The other five victims were stable when transported.
Additionally, a seventh victim, who was determined to have been shot during the same incident downtown, arrived at a different hospital for treatment as a walk-in. Their condition was also listed as stable by Indianapolis police.
The shooting occurred amidst Indianapolis' ongoing struggle with a significant increase in gun violence. According to a report by the Indianapolis Star last year, homicides in the city, predominantly involving firearms, surged by 85% over the past fifteen years.
Deputy Police Chief Terry addressed this issue during Sunday's briefing, emphasizing the concerning trend of young people resorting to firearms to resolve conflicts. She stressed the department's commitment to proactively addressing gatherings of juveniles to prevent such crimes from occurring.
Terry also urged parents to take an active role in supervising their children, particularly during late hours. Highlighting the late-night timing of the incident, she emphasized the importance of knowing the whereabouts of children, especially given the proximity to Easter Sunday.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, with police urging anyone with information to contact Detective Albert Teaters at the department's homicide office.
