A person was shot on Indianapolis' south side Saturday night as trick-or-treaters were still out for Halloween, and police say the victim was awake and breathing when officers arrived. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called shortly before 10:30 p.m. to the 5500 block of Madison Avenue, near East Dudley Avenue, for a report of a person shot.
Arriving officers found one person with injuries consistent with a gunshot wound, according to WISH-TV. Police said the person was awake and breathing, but no other details about what led to the shooting, a possible suspect, or the victim's identity were released. WTHR likewise reported that IMPD shared no additional details immediately following the shooting.
The 5500 block of Madison Avenue sits near the East Dudley Avenue intersection on the city's south side, an area that saw heavier foot traffic than usual Saturday night with Halloween festivities underway. As of publication, no arrests had been announced and the circumstances that led to the shooting remained unclear.
A Broader Decline In Shootings Across Indianapolis
The Halloween night shooting comes as Indianapolis has recorded a historic drop in gun violence this year. More than 214 people had been shot and wounded citywide in 2026 at the time of a recent report, which is 131 fewer victims than during the same period in 2025, a 38% year-over-year decline, the station's report found.
IMPD had recorded 185 non-fatal shootings involving 214 victims so far this year, continuing what the same account described as a five-year downward trend dating back to 2022, when there were nearly 500 victims at the same point in the year. The department's clearance rate for non-fatal shootings stood at 40%, per the report.
Separate preliminary figures reported in July showed the city had recorded 53 homicides so far in 2026, a 20% decrease compared to the same period in 2025, according to WRTV. That same report found non-fatal shooting incidents down 33% year-over-year, with 139 reported through early July, while overall violent crime had fallen 29% and property crime had dropped 13.5% over the same stretch.
Anyone with information about Saturday night's shooting is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-TIPS (8477).
