Riley Children's Health has launched Indiana's first pediatric violence intervention program, a response to a 2026 caseload that included 37 children treated for gunshot wounds, among them a victim who was just one month old. The hospital reports that 14% of its gunshot-wound patients are under age 10, while the median age among those patients this year was 15.
The new effort makes Riley Indiana's first pediatric hospital to connect patients and families with specialized violence-intervention resources and support, according to WISH-TV. Of the 37 children treated for gunshot wounds in 2026, 26 were injured in violent shootings and 11 in accidental firearm incidents, per a report from 93.1 WIBC. Riley has held continuous Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center verification from the American College of Surgeons for 33 consecutive years, the hospital's own materials note, underscoring its role as Indiana's primary high-acuity pediatric trauma facility.
A Program Built on Partnerships, Not Just Medicine
Riley's program joins 11 other U.S. pediatric hospitals that operate violence intervention programs, the station's report indicates. Rather than operating in isolation, Riley is collaborating with Indy Peace, VOICES Corp, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis, and Struggle Made Us — a nonprofit focused on social and emotional development. Indy Peace itself is a partnership between the Indy Public Safety Foundation and the Indianapolis government's Office of Public Health and Safety, while VOICES Corp is described as a Black-led organization focused on breaking community cycles of violence, trauma, and poverty.
Mae Sandberg, who leads the community and child health office at Indiana University Health Riley Children's Health Hospital, said the hospital cannot address the lingering effects of violence alone. She added that the program seeks to help younger children learn conflict resolution, and that it shows young people a larger community is willing to support them. David Lee, program manager for special projects with Indy Peace, said the effort supports families after trauma and loss.
Building on an Adult Model Already Underway
The pediatric launch is not Riley's first brush with hospital-linked violence intervention within the IU Health system. Indiana University Health previously established a similar program for adult gunshot victims at IU Health Methodist and University Hospitals in August 2024 through Indy Peace, according to the Indianapolis Recorder. The pediatric effort builds upon that violence intervention work within IU Health and across Indianapolis, extending hospital support directly into the community and expanding the city's overall approach to violence prevention.
The program arrives against a backdrop that Riley's own trauma physicians have cited for years. In 2020, firearm-related injuries surpassed motor vehicle collisions to become the leading cause of death among children and adolescents aged 1 to 19 nationwide, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data cited by Riley Children's Health. That trend was already visible at Riley by mid-2023, when emergency surgeons reported treating 23 pediatric gunshot victims in just the first five and a half months of that year.
Part of a Broader Citywide Strategy
Riley's program slots into a larger, multi-year effort in Indianapolis. The city launched its Gun Violence Reduction Strategy in late 2021 using $150 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, establishing Indy Peace to deploy violence interrupters and provide up to 18 months of intensive life coaching, according to NICJR. That investment has coincided with steep declines in violent crime: annual criminal homicides in Indianapolis fell nearly 45% between 2021 and 2025, dropping from 241 to 133, while citywide nonfatal shootings dropped 44% over the same period, as Hoodline previously reported citing WFYI data.
Indianapolis also expanded its violence intervention strategy specifically to high-risk youth in March 2026, partnering with organizations like VOICES Corp to offer mentorship and mental health care to teens. That expansion came even as researchers and local law enforcement have pointed to Indiana's 2022 permitless carry law, House Enrolled Act 1296, which allows residents 18 and older to carry a concealed handgun without a permit or background check, as a factor preceding a rise in nonfatal accidental shootings in the city, per WFYI.
A National Peer Network for Pediatric Care
Riley's program also places Indianapolis within a growing national network. The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention represents 77 active hospital-based violence intervention programs across the U.S. as of mid-2026 and maintains a dedicated pediatric subgroup aimed at standardizing trauma-informed care and wraparound services for young survivors, according to the Children's Hospital Association. At Riley, the program is designed to help patients and families address the social, emotional, and environmental factors affecting recovery, with the broader aim of preventing future violence and helping young survivors and their families heal and thrive after trauma.
The urgency behind the program has been visible in Indianapolis cases Hoodline has covered this year, including the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Tre'Von Riggins, who was rushed to Riley Hospital after a playground shooting in June. Riley Children's Health, Sandberg said, sees the effects of violence on people of all ages — a reality the hospital hopes its new partnerships, rather than medicine alone, can begin to change.
