Indianapolis was struck by tragedy early this morning following a mass shooting that left two dead and five injured, occurring just hours after July 4th celebrations. As reported by FOX59, the violence erupted at the corner of West Market and North Illinois Street shortly after 1:45 a.m. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) confirmed that among the victims were three juveniles and three adults. One individual was pronounced dead at the scene, while a second, a juvenile, later succumbed to their injuries at the hospital.
IMPD Chief Chris Bailey urged parents and guardians to take responsibility, highlighting the involvement of unsupervised children in the night's events, "Hundreds of unsupervised kids down here," Bailey stated. "I don’t know how many times I have to say it. We are not your children’s keepers. You are! Parents and guardians have got to step up." In a chilling revelation, Bailey disclosed that previous arrests had been made where guns were found on minors, including one instance involving an assault rifle. Bailey also signaled his intent to work with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office to potentially hold parents accountable for their children's actions, according to information obtained by FOX59.
Details provided by WTHR indicate the chaotic nature of the night with officers initially responding to a disturbance at West Washington and South Meridian streets around 1:27 a.m. As they learned of further disturbances and made their way to South Illinois and West Washington streets, they encountered the aftermath of the shooting. Several firearms were recovered at the shooting scene, their connection to the crime remains under investigation.
Adding to the IMPD's account of the overnight violence, Chief Bailey described the situation to reporters at the scene, "Thousands of people came downtown tonight, enjoyed the fireworks and went home. Thousands more chose to come down here and all night cause trouble," he said. The incidents weren't isolated; officers were pressed to handle multiple reports of violence across the city, an endeavor complicated by the presence of "hundreds of unsupervised kids." IMPD officers found themselves outnumbered by the reports and the reality of violence that greeted July 5th's early hours. This, too, was reflected in Bailey's exasperated remarks captured by WISH-TV: "I’m tired of it. You should be tired of it."
Beyond the immediate vicinity of the mass shooting, IMPD officers also responded to an incident involving a double shooting on the east side of the city and to a case where an individual self-transported to Eskenazi Hospital with a gunshot wound. Details regarding the victim's connection to the night's violence were not provided. In total, the police made more than 20 arrests throughout the night related to different shootings and altercations, as mentioned by Chief Bailey in statements recounted by WISH-TV.
