Early Tuesday morning, a normally quiet Fountain Square block turned into something closer to a shooting range, as what neighbors described as a large, unauthorized party at an Airbnb ended with gunfire ripping through homes and cars. People were seen sprinting away from the house at Woodlawn and State avenues as shots exploded across the street, leaving multiple residences and parked vehicles freshly pockmarked with bullet holes and residents rattled into daylight.
According to FOX59, the barrage started around 3:50 a.m. Witnesses and neighbors told the station they believe roughly 100 rounds were fired. Surveillance video obtained by FOX59 reportedly shows people running and two cars speeding away from the block, and neighbors said some partygoers cut security camera feeds shortly before the shooting. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department told the station that no arrests had been made as detectives worked the scene.
Kierra Jackson, whose home and car were hit, told FOX59, “Bullets could have hit any child or adult in the neighborhood.” Another neighbor, Melanie Potter, said both her car and her daughter's vehicle were struck. Neighbors and public listings indicated to FOX59 that the property where the gathering unfolded is listed on a short-term rental platform.
Video, Evidence and Airbnb Rules
Residents say surveillance clips circulating among neighbors capture the chaos as people fled and vehicles tore off down the street. Several neighbors reported that one camera feed went dark at about 12:27 a.m., hours before the gunfire. The incident has reignited frustration over enforcement of rental rules in residential blocks.
Airbnb's party and events policy bans unapproved gatherings and allows the company to take action against listings that host them, according to Airbnb. Neighbors told reporters they want rental platforms and property owners alike to clamp down harder on repeat trouble spots before late-night parties spill into violence.
Investigators and Neighbors Respond
IMPD officers spent Tuesday canvassing the block, collecting shell casings and talking with residents as detectives worked to piece together a timeline of what happened. Neighbors traded videos, photos and phone numbers, encouraging anyone with useful footage to turn it over to police in hopes of identifying suspects.
For now, residents are left fixing up damaged homes and cars while pressing local leaders and rental platforms for clearer accountability when short-term stays turn into neighborhood flashpoints.
