INDIANAPOLIS — The chief of Indianapolis police is speaking candidly about the city's latest mass shooting in a one-on-one interview with 13News.
Part of the conversation with IMPD Chief Randal Taylor included the steps his officers took after crossing paths with the suspect in the shooting last year. He also talked about what needs to be done to keep another mass shooting from happening.
"We're going through this yet again with multiple murders," Taylor said.
Taylor reflected on the past four days in his office and told 13News reporter Steve Jefferson what he saw when he arrived at the scene of the shooting at a west side FedEx facility Thursday night. More than 100 of his officers had already responded, along with many of their law enforcement partners on the local, state and federal level.
"Four people down in the lot and clearing the building and finding four more people and then additionally the gunman in the building. It's a lot for anyone to take in," said Taylor.
Taylor was able to anticipate the response from families of the employees, since he is familiar with some of the rules of FedEx based on personal experience.
"I have had family that worked out there. I knew phones would be an issue right off the bat. When my boys worked out there, they could not have their phones," said Taylor.
The investigation into the suspect includes his legal purchase of the two semi-automatic rifles he used in the shooting. That's because last year, IMPD confiscated his shotgun after his mother reported his unstableness to police. IMPD still has the shotgun, but Taylor wants loopholes closed to identify and stop gun purchases by people with mental health challenges.
"I do not know if there is a way we can make any detentions and reports would identify someone of having an issue to maybe you should not sell to that person," Taylor said.
When the shooter's mother reported his mental state to police last year, IMPD officers acted swiftly to get a shotgun out of his possession.
"We still have the weapon," said Taylor. "Apparently, he didn't want the weapon back."
As IMPD continues investigating the shooting, Taylor also shared his mixed feelings about automatic assault rifles.
"I am not really a gun person. I don't hunt or anything like that," he said. "I have a difficult time thinking there is a lot of society that needs a gun like that. I understand wanting to protect yourself. We have guns like that that are stolen as well. Maybe a responsible owner would never do anything like that. But if the house gets broken into and the gun gets stolen and you don't know who has the weapon. So, I am not a fan of it. I think there are some other things we could look at when it comes to who should have those, the capacity of the magazines, and those kinds of things."
Taylor made it very clear that their investigation is ongoing and that he could not put a timetable on when it will be finished.