Key Points
- Police recovered multiple firearms, including an assault rifle
- Around 20 arrests are made
- The US continues to face widespread gun violence
WASHINGTON: Two people were killed and five others wounded in a mass shooting in downtown Indianapolis, United States, early Saturday, police said.
Five individuals were transported to the hospital for treatment, while a sixth victim arrived at a hospital on their own shortly afterward.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not yet identified the deceased or determined their age.
Among the injured, authorities confirmed that three are juveniles. One of the juveniles later died at the hospital.
The Indianapolis police chief, Chris Bailey, condemned recurring violence in the city’s downtown area, particularly involving young people. “A kid is dead tonight,” Bailey told reporters. “It’s unacceptable.”
The police chief said officers made about 20 arrests throughout the night and recovered guns from minors, including “an assault rifle stuffed in the front of his pants.”
According to the police chief, the incident marked the second consecutive weekend of violence in downtown Indianapolis.
Serious gun violence remains a persistent issue across the United States, where many states have minimal restrictions on firearm purchases, despite widespread public support for stricter gun control measures.
So far this year, there have been 189 mass shootings in the US, as reported by the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot.
