WTHR
Police respond to the scene of a shooting in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, March 30th.
CNN
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At least seven children between the ages of 12 and 17 were injured in a shooting Saturday night in downtown Indianapolis where a large group of people had gathered, police said.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were on patrol around 11:30 p.m. local time when they heard “several active gunshots being fired” near Circle Center Mall.
Indianapolis Police Deputy Chief Tanya Terry told reporters Sunday morning that when they rushed to the scene, they found a “large group of juveniles,” including six with gunshot wounds.
All of the injured children were taken to local hospitals, and a seventh child later arrived at an area hospital, Terry said. All victims are in stable condition.
It is unclear what led to the shooting or how many people fired. No suspects were in custody as of Sunday morning, Indianapolis police said.
Terry said police believe multiple firearms were involved and are investigating the scene.
“It is deeply concerning to us that so many young people fell victim to gun violence tonight,” Terry said. ”
Police have not provided information about the nature of the gathering, but Terry said police noticed a large group of juveniles moving through the downtown area in the evening.
This is the third week in a row that Indianapolis police have responded to a shooting incident, with more officers being called out downtown.
A shooting outside a bar last weekend left one person dead and five others injured, including an off-duty Indianapolis Metro police officer. Last weekend, one person was killed and five others were injured in a shooting at a nightclub in Indy's downtown Broad Ripple neighborhood.
Mr Terry added that more than 25 police officers were patrolling the area on Saturday to ensure such acts did not occur.
“We always try to prevent this from happening,” Terry said at a news conference. “Downtown Commander Burton has already shifted resources and directed resources to address these youth crowds before they begin to act out, and has officers arriving early to respond and remain on top of the situation. All our resources will be directed towards preventing this type of crime.”
Terry said parents need to do more to know exactly where their children are to avoid incidents like this.
“I think everyone sees messages at 10 p.m. that say, 'Parents, do you know where your children are?' We encourage parents to get involved,” Terry said. “This was at 11:30 p.m. on the night just before Easter Sunday. So if you don't know where your 12-year-old is, I think that should be your priority.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
