MARTINSVILLE – A community known for its tranquil mineral springs was shaken Tuesday evening when a teenager was seriously injured in a shooting following an altercation among several juveniles.
The incident occurred just before 5:30 p.m. in the 400 block of North Mulberry Street, a quiet residential area situated between the Morgan House Apartments and the historic Martinsville Sanitarium.
Martinsville Police Department officials confirmed that the victim, a male teenager between the ages of 13 and 18, sustained serious gunshot wounds during the fight. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was airlifted by helicopter to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.
During a 9:00 p.m. press conference, Officer Aubrey Rachels provided a guardedly optimistic update, stating that the teenager had emerged from surgery and was in stable condition.
Crime scene investigators spent Tuesday night processing the area, with yellow tape cordoning off a section of Mulberry Street just a block west of North Main Street.
Police emphasized that the shooting appears to be a targeted incident involving a specific group of juveniles who were known to one another.
Investigators are currently questioning a “possible suspect” and several witnesses, all of whom are under the age of 18.
As of late Tuesday night, no formal arrests had been made, though police indicated they are working closely with the Morgan County Prosecutor’s Office. Officer Rachels reiterated that there is “no threat to the community at large” following the afternoon violence.
The location of the shooting adds a surreal backdrop to the tragedy. The Martinsville Sanitarium, located just a block away, is a landmark of the city’s 19th-century heyday as a health resort “city of mineral water.” Today, the area is a mix of historic preservation and residential housing.
This incident follows a concerning trend of juvenile-involved firearm incidents in the region. Recent data from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute indicates that while overall juvenile crime remained steady into 2025, firearm-related offenses remain the most frequent charges for juveniles entering the court system.
In Martinsville specifically, this is the second high-profile shooting involving teenagers in the last two years, following an incident on South Home Avenue in 2024 that also resulted in a juvenile being airlifted to Indianapolis.
The Martinsville Police Department is asking anyone with additional information or home surveillance footage from the North Mulberry Street area to contact them at 765-342-6614.
