Seven children, ages 12 to 17, wounded in mass shooting in Indianapolis | US News
Authorities have reported that seven children were injured in a mass shooting outside a shopping center in the US.
The victims, aged between 12 and 17, were shot outside the Circle Centre Mall in Indianapolis around 11:30 pm on Saturday.
Deputy Chief Tanya Terry of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department stated that officers patrolling the area heard gunshots and discovered a large group of juveniles, six of whom had been shot.
She informed the media on Sunday morning that the victims were taken to local hospitals, with one initially in critical condition but later stable, while the other five were listed as stable. A seventh juvenile with a gunshot wound arrived at a hospital separately and was also in stable condition, according to Ms. Terry.
The shooting took place in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday. Pic: Max Lewis/Fox59 via AP
The police officer mentioned that the genders of the victims were unknown, but detectives believed that multiple guns were involved in the shooting, prompting an aggravated assault investigation.
She stated, “Once again, we see young people resorting to firearms to resolve conflicts, and this must end.”
“Conflict should not escalate to someone pulling out a gun to settle it. The consequences are permanent.”
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No arrests had been made, and there were no suspects identified yet, she added.
Police observed a trend of young people leaving the mall when it closes at 7 pm and lingering in the downtown area for hours, according to Ms. Terry.
In a statement reported by NBC News, she emphasized that parents should prioritize knowing the whereabouts of their 12-year-old children at 11:30 pm before Easter.
This incident marks the third shooting in three weekends in Indianapolis, as reported by NBC through its affiliate WTHR.
Just last Sunday, a shooting on the east side of the city resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including an officer, with the suspect later killed by law enforcement.
Earlier this month, another shooting at a bar claimed the life of one person and injured five others, as per reports from the Indianapolis Star.
