(INDIANAPOLIS) – Indianapolis police say a 17-year-old suspect was arrested in the deaths of 6 people following a mass shooting in the 3500 block of Adams Street.
Originally, police were called out to the nearby 3300 block of E. 36th Street around 3:45 a.m. Sunday, where a juvenile was found suffering from a gunshot wound and taken in critical condition to Riley Children’s Hospital. Police said during the press conference that he is expected to survive.
Following further investigation into the juvenile’s shooting, police were dispatched to the Adams Street location where they discovered multiple people shot and killed inside a home.
The victims have been identified as 42-year-old Kezzie Childs, 42-year-old Raymond Childs, 18-year-old Elijah Childs, 13-year-old Rita Childs, 19-year-old Kiara Hawkins, and Baby Boy Hawkins, the unborn child of Kiara Hawkins.
Both Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randall Taylor referred to the incident as a “mass murder.”
Due to the suspect being a juvenile, the name and photo are not being released at this time. That may change if the suspect is waived to adult court. The suspect is said to be a member of the family.
“Yesterday, we promised swift justice for this heinous act. Today, we delivered on that promise,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. “While removing the alleged perpetrator of yesterday’s mass murder from our neighborhoods does not bring back the lives senselessly lost, hopefully, it will bring us one step closer to healing as a community. I am grateful to all of the IMPD officers and criminal justice partners who have worked tirelessly for the last 30 plus hours to bring justice for these victims, their friends and families, and our entire community. I ask community members to join me in praying for the continued recovery of the young man whose life has been forever changed.”
Police do not suspect any additional suspects are at large.
Mayor Hogsett issued this statement following the announcement of the arrest:
“Today’s announcement is the first step toward justice for the senseless acts that cut short the lives of six of our neighbors in the early hours of Sunday morning. While nothing can bring back the Childs family, I hope that the swift action of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department offers some comfort to all of those who have been left to grapple with this tragic loss. My thanks go to the men and women of IMPD whose thoughtful investigative work led to the arrest of the suspect, and my prayers are with the family, friends, and community impacted by this devastating act of violence.”
Information FOX News, https://fox59.com/
