BEECH GROVE, Ind. — Police are investigating after two men were injured in a shooting along Main Street in Beech Grove early Thursday.
Around 3:15 a.m. Aug. 10, Beech Grove Police Department officers responded to the 400 block of Main Street, southwest of the intersection of Troy Street and Emerson Avenue, for a report of a person shot.
Officers located two men outside the Silver Bullet Sports Bar & Grill with gunshot wounds. Police initially said both men were "awake and breathing" when medics took them to hospitals.
In an update Thursday morning, Deputy Chief Tom Hurrle told 13News one of the men was in surgery and the other was in "serious but stable" condition.
Officers found indications that a third person may also have been shot but have not been able to locate another victim, Hurrle said.
Police believe a fight started in the bar, continued in the parking lot and led to shots fired.
"I heard a bunch of rapid shots. It sounded like a war zone," said Jan Thibo, who lives nearby. "People were running and screaming. The whole parking lot of the bar was full of people, and there was a van at the end of the lot with its doors open. The victims were in the van and on the ground, I think."
Police said they have no suspects in custody and no witnesses cooperating.
"The bottom line is, the witnesses are the people involved, and we'll hear things like, 'We'll take care of this, so we're not going to cooperate with you,'" Beech Grove Police Department Deputy Chief Robert Mercuri said. "Why wouldn't they cooperate? One, they want their own justice. Two, if they cooperate, and the person that goes to jail is back out on the street relatively soon, it's not like a TV show. It's not like that's the end of the episode. OK, he went to jail, that's all great. What happens is if he's back on the street within 48 hours in their neighborhood and their name is on paper, as they say, why would you cooperate if you have no confidence that they're going to stay away?"
"When things like that happen, it sheds a bad light on the city of Beech Grove," Mayor Dennis Buckley said, also referencing to 39 evidence markers at the scene.
Buckley said he spoke with one of the owners of the Silver Bullet and recommended they close the business. If the owner does not comply, Buckley said he will start the process to close it himself.
"We've had problems here for a long, long time," Buckley said, confirming this is the second incident in which people were shot in the parking lot of the Silver Bullet in the last year.
"I've lived here two years, and I haven't seen any security in the parking lot, and that's where all the problems start," Thibo said.
Two calibers of shell casings were located at the scene, but police haven't determined if there was an exchange of gunfire, or possibly multiple suspects, Hurrle said.
Officers have been speaking with multiple people who were inside the bar at the time of the shooting, which occurred in the parking lot, and were working to review video from inside the bar and speak with businesses and homeowners in the area who may have video of the incident.
Police did not have any suspect information early Thursday, but do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the public, Hurrle said.
Police confirmed Main Street in the area is open as the investigation continues.