INDIANAPOLIS — Two men are dead and nine other people are injured after a violent 24-hour stretch between Saturday and Sunday in Indianapolis.
The first violent incident came to the attention of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department around 7:30 p.m. Saturday after a person walked in at Community Hospital East suffering from gunshot wounds. IMPD was unable to provide information on the condition or identity of the person injured.
Less than two hours later around 9 p.m., IMPD officers responded to reports of a shooting along E. 34th Street near Emerson Avenue, where they found a man suffering from several gunshot wounds. He died at the scene moments later, police said.
IMPD Nightwatch Commander Kerry Buckner said the presence of fireworks and overall more activity during the July 4th holiday weekend makes things difficult on officers – though most are able to quickly decipher the difference between gunshots and fireworks.
“It’s getting near the Fourth of July. People were having cookouts, I mean you smell the BBQ in the air, there’s a lot of people out – it’s a fairly nice night, it’s not as hot as it has been, so I don’t know if there was some sort of organized gathering… but families are getting together,” Buckner said. “If you’ve been in Indianapolis during (a holiday)… you’ll know the difference. I mean most of these booms you can tell are just fireworks. I’ve been doing this for 32 years and you can distinctly tell between a gunshot and a firework most times.”
Buckner said the man who died in the 34th Street shooting was in his 50s and added that the shooting evolved from an apparent argument in the street. The shooter then allegedly fled, police said, and it’s not clear what the two were fighting about.
A stabbing around 10 p.m. Saturday at Pins Mechanical Company, a popular duckpin-style bowling arcade, and bar, prompted police to the Bottleworks District downtown where they found a man with stab wounds. The male victim was taken to the hospital where he is recovering and IMPD said a suspect was also taken into custody.
Following the stabbing IMPD said a road rage incident just before 11 p.m. quickly turned into a shooting. The incident occurred on the northwest side of town along Gateway Court, where police found two men suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
While police said the shooting occurred at the Eagle Cove Apartments, Buckner and IMPD officers aren’t entirely certain where the road rage incident itself unfolded.
“It almost sounds like it may have occurred over on High School Road or maybe on 38th Street and they followed them in here,” Buckner said. “And then, they actually pulled up against them down the way here and got out and unloaded on them and shot both of them.”
IMPD is looking for a probable suspect vehicle potential involved in the shooting.
“We’re looking for a black, two-door sedan that might have been involved in the incident,” Buckner said.
Both men shot are recovering in the hospital and were last listed in stable condition. However, Buckner said due to the locations of their injuries their conditions could quickly change.
Throughout Saturday night into Sunday morning, IMPD responded around 10:30 p.m. to a walk-in person shot at Eskenazi Hospital as well as two more reports of people shot walking into Community East Hospital, the first being at 4:30 a.m. and the next at 5:45 a.m.
The walk-in patient at Eskenazi has since been listed in stable condition, IMPD said. However, the conditions of the two Community East patients are not fully known at this time.
The second fatal incident of the violent stretch was a shooting that occurred around 7:20 a.m. Sunday morning on the city’s northwest side. IMPD arrived at the 7000 block of Bretton Wood Drive to find an adult male with gunshot wounds.
The male victim, police said, was later pronounced dead by EMS on scene. IMPD has launched an investigation.
Police were once again called around 8 a.m. Sunday morning on report of a person shot, this time to the 3500 block of Drexel Avenue on the city’s east side. The victim, IMPD said, was awake and breathing when officers arrived, although no more information is available.
IMPD received yet another call for a person shot around 5:15 p.m. Sunday. Officers were sent to the 1500 block of Stadium Way, near the Stadium Lofts apartment complex on the near northwest side, where they found a victim with injuries consistent with gunshot(s).
As of 6 p.m. Sunday, IMPD has not reported a condition on the victim or any additional information.
IMPD says that several witnesses have come forward but that officers still need assistance from anyone who may have heard or seen anything suspicious last night. Those with information are being encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at (317) 262-TIPS.