INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis has reached 230 homicides for the year. That's 15 more than the record set in 2020.
We still have two months left in the year. Now, it's all hands on deck to decrease gun violence in the city.
City leaders, community organizers and business owners are jumping on board to curb the tide of violence in Indianapolis.
One group is working to put a stop to it, at least during Halloween weekend.
"Cease fire" sounds like a simple concept, but for a city that has already surpassed last year homicide numbers, that request is a big deal. Organizers from the Indianapolis Cease Fire Weekend are asking everyone to refrain from violence for 72 hours.
"It literally breaks my heart. I don't believe people really know the impact it puts on every individual," said organizer Della Brown.
"It's becoming a way of life. I think we have to understand this is not the way of life," said organizer Ron Gee.
Instead, they want people to come together, spread love and attend peaceful events that organizers have planned around the city. They hope people will take it upon themselves to extend the cease fire past three days.
"Then more love is spread out amongst our city and community, where these things are happening at. Hopefully through doing so, we will see a reduction in the violence for sure," said Brown.
During their public safety walk, both IMPD Chief Randal Taylor and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said they're happy to see neighbors in the community do their part to decrease gun violence in the city.
"We are all in this together. It's a team effort. If we get on top of this, it will be because it was a team effort," said Taylor.
"We need everybody in the community, everybody in the neighborhood working together, to stop the violence, resolve conflicts peacefully and keep our neighbors safe," said Hogsett.
Because they can't do it alone.