INDIANAPOLIS — Concern is growing about safety at a gas station in Indianapolis that's had four homicides in four months on its property.
Neighbors and community leaders say something needs to be done.
Now, data specifically documenting danger at the gas station might be the very thing that forces the property to clean up its act.
The Shell gas station at 34th Street and Emerson Avenue is arguably the deadliest address in Indianapolis. It's had four homicides in four months, the most of any one location in the city this year.
Two brothers were shot and killed at the gas station in late April, a 22-year-old was killed two weeks prior and then, last Monday, at the very same gas station, someone shot and killed a man in his car.
"It is not surprising," said Greg Garrett, deputy director of the United Northeast Development Corporation. Garrett also lives not far from the gas station.
He and his neighbors call this a problem property that threatens public health, where danger has people second guessing even stopping for gas.
"I just drive on by," Garrett said. "Others do, too. They usually skip over it because it's just not safe. They're afraid they may be robbed, they may be assaulted or they may be in the crossfire of a shooting."
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13News reached out to the gas station for comment but have not heard back.
Garrett wants the gas station to add more security, have more accountability and stop staying open 24 hours.
"Maybe close at 10. Maybe open at 8 or 9," Garrett said. "Work with the city. Work with the community."
Soon, it could be forced to. Right now, state law makes it tough for cities to take on nuisance properties.
"Right now, the state law is pretty vague in the way that it defines nuisance," said Aryn Schounce, director of government affairs and strategic initiatives for Mayor Joe Hogsett's office.
But attorneys for the city of Indianapolis plan to test that law in court by suing properties that put public safety at risk, where data clearly shows a pattern of problems.
"We are using data, including that violent crime data to better inform the way we go about, whether it's going a legal route or enforcement of nuisance cases," Schounce said. "Data is critical. All of the police runs that happen, the fire incidents, the health cases, the other things that are happening at this property all have a significant cost to the public and to the taxpayers. That's how attorneys can not only prove the financial burden associated with it, but also demonstrate a pattern that is really an outlier to other similar types of properties. You know, if property owners are not taking control of what's happening at their property, there is a cost associated with that. And in this case, tragically, human life lost is part of that cost."
The city's gathering data citywide right now, making a list of problem properties, from bars, to clubs to gas stations. They say they need a "slam dunk" for their test lawsuit.
Neighbors near 34th Street and Emerson Avenue say increasing gun violence at this gas station is a perfect, tragic example.
"You just don't know when or where or what time of day it's going to happen," Garrett said. "It's any time of day. It's always unsafe."