INDIANAPOLIS — Two juveniles were killed and five other people were injured in a shooting in downtown Indianapolis early Saturday morning.
In a press conference, Chris Bailey — Chief of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department — confirmed that officers were working a separate disturbance at the intersection of Washington and Meridian Streets before the shooting happened. Officers first heard shots ring out in the area of East Washington and North Illinois Streets around 1:27 a.m.
Police were about a block of away from the intersection of Washington and Illinois Streets when they heard shots fired. Those officers ran to the area they heard the gunfire coming from soon after the shooting happened.
When police arrived at the shooting scene, they located six individuals with gunshot wounds. One of those victims — a 16-year-old male — was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other five individuals IMPD found at the intersection on Washington and Illinois Streets were transported to local hospitals. One of the five individuals transported from the scene by medics died at a local hospital. Per IMPD, the victim who died at the hospital was a 15-year-old male.
Soon after the shooting unfolded at Washington and Illinois Streets, a person walked into Eskenazi Hospital with gunshot wounds. Police believe that individual was injured in the shooting at Washington and Illinois Streets, bringing the total number of people injured or killed during the incident to seven.
Bailey indicated that he does not have additional information on the medical statuses of the five victims who survived the shooting at this time. He did confirm the living victims’ ages:
- One 16-year-old
- One 17-year-old
- Two 19-year-olds
- One 21-year-old
In total, four juveniles were injured or killed during the shooting.
The mass shooting happened hours after people all across the city celebrated July 4th, with fireworks happening just blocks away in downtown Indy.
Officers recovered numerous firearms at the scene and detained multiple individuals for questioning. Investigators are still looking to see if the firearms collected and the people detained were involved in the incident.
Bailey called on parents and guardians to “step up” after officers made at least 20 arrests before the downtown shooting took place. Of the arrests made, officers found guns on two kids, one of those being an assault rifle, according to police.
“Hundreds of unsupervised kids down here,” Bailey said. “I don’t know how many times I have to say it. We are not your children’s keepers. You are! Parents and guardians have got to step up. A kid is dead tonight.”
Bailey said he will work with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office to see if there is a way to hold parents accountable for their children’s actions.
“If I can convince the prosecutor to hold the parents accountable, I’m going to do that too” Bailey said. “There has to be more than what just are the police doing.”
During another press conference Saturday afternoon, Bailey characterized the behavior of some individuals in downtown Indianapolis Friday night and Saturday morning as “lawless.”
“I was down there last night,” Bailey said. “I took runs with our officers all night. And we have hundreds of officers out throughout the weekends who show up to ensure the safety of those enjoying our downtown. And I appreciate their willingness to protect our city, and they are equally as frustrated as all of us are right now. They ran toward danger, again. As others were fleeing the gunshots, our officers ran toward them. They are the best of us, and I’m proud of their courage and commitment.
“But what I saw downtown, and what I’ve seen downtown over the last few weeks, is absolutely ridiculous. Lawlessness, disrespect, reckless behavior of people of all ages. It’s not something we should expect. I watched as bottle rockets were shot from the top of parking garages onto community members below. As roman candles were shot over people’s heads as the fireworks were going on Monument Circle. I saw people openly using narcotics, partying in parking lots, fighting. All the while, our officers chased them around downtown.”
Saturday’s shooting is one of a few notable incidents that have unfolded in downtown Indianapolis over the last 18 months.
In March 2024, seven juveniles were injured in a shooting in the first block of Maryland Street. On June 23, 2025, three people were left injured and a 16-year-old was arrested after a shooting at Monument Circle. Three people were also injured in a shooting that happened along the canal that runs through downtown Indianapolis on June 21, 2025.
In April 2024, IMPD began enforcing stricter juvenile curfew laws. Under the curfew, juveniles aged 15 and under are supposed be in their homes between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. daily.
The curfew rules allow teens between the ages of 15 and 17 to stay out until 1 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Enforcement exceptions are in place for work, school and religious events.
During Saturday afternoon’s press conference, Bailey also indicated that IMPD will work to increase the number of strategically placed cameras it has downtown. IMPD is also expected to receive enforcement assistance from Indiana State Police in downtown Indianapolis during weekends.
Though law enforcement is making an extra push to decrease the number of violent incidents that unfold in downtown Indianapolis, Bailey reiterated that community members must also make contributions to help quell the violence.
“See, we keep going back to ‘what’s the government going to do, what’s the City going to do,'” Bailey said after Saturday morning’s shooting in downtown Indianapolis unfolded. “The City has invested in this — millions of dollars this city. Taxpayers pay for police overtime to staff this one square mile area. There was a couple hundred cops down here between state police, capitol police, IMPD and other police department agencies.
“Yes, we’re going to keep doing our job. The City of Indianapolis government, the police department, is going to keep doing our job. We’re not going to solve this. No, no, not just by the police.”
More reaction to Saturday morning’s shooting from City leaders is available here.
This is a developing story. It will be updated when new information has been made available.
