Indianapolis, Indiana authorities reported a shooting incident that occurred early Saturday (July 5) morning, resulting in 2 fatalities and 7 injuries.
Around 1:27 a.m. local time on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police Department received a report of shootings at the intersection of West Washington St. and South Meridian St., as well as at the intersection of South Illinois St. and West Washington St. Police officers en route to the scene heard gunshots coming from the area.
Local medical facilities immediately transported 5 individuals to hospitals, with other injured victims being taken to hospitals subsequently. A 16-year-old boy died at the scene, and a 15-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Surviving victims, as described by investigators, include a 16-year-old, a 17-year-old, two 19-year-olds, and a 21-year-old.
As of Saturday afternoon, the suspect had not been identified, and the police did not have information on the motive, with investigations ongoing.
Following the shooting incident, the city government in Indianapolis reportedly started installing surveillance cameras in the downtown “problem areas” and mobilized officers from the Indiana State Police to provide support. They also implemented a curfew for teenagers and allocated additional resources for law enforcement.
Mayor of Indianapolis, Joe Hogsett, condemned the shooting incident and expressed condolences to the families of the victims, stating at a press conference, “This all could have been prevented.”
Police criticized the city government and parents for their apparent indifference to the violence in the city. Police Chief Chris Bailey expressed anger over the violent incident, lamenting at a press conference, “Too many lives are being lost.”
President of the Fraternal Order of Police in the city, Rick Snyder, stated in a release, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims… We pray for our capital city. For weeks, we have been warning: ‘Now is the time to act, otherwise we fear a terrible storm is coming.'”
Snyder expressed, “Indianapolis residents, business owners, event organizers, and our police are left to clean up the mess while our elected leaders are once again ‘missing,’ leaving us embarrassed.”
After the deaths of the two teenagers, Indianapolis council members mourned the loss of the youths and pledged to take action in the coming months to ensure residents’ safety.
Leader of the Democratic Party in the City-County Council, Maggie A. Lewis, said in a statement, “The loss of life due to gun violence at any age is a tragedy, especially when the victims are children just starting their lives. It leaves us speechless. My heart goes out to these unfortunate families, their lives forever changed. We pray for them, and our community mourns with you!”
She added, “We must unite as a city to support our youth leaders, community organizers, public safety officials, elected officials, and individuals in addressing this issue together.”
(This article references reports from “The Hill” and ABC NEWS)