INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD investigators are looking for the person who shot a teenager at a northwest side park Monday night.
Police say it happened at Riverside Park around 8:45 p.m. near the basketball courts. When they arrived, the victim was already on his way to the hospital and was listed as stable.
“We all act off impulse instead of just taking a deep breath,” said Jalen Payton.
Payton grew up in the area and was visiting Riverside Park on Tuesday. He said too often, disagreements lead to violence.
“I’ve actually been playing basketball before when that’s happened,” he said.
It’s not the first time police responded to violence in a park this month. Just two weeks ago, a 22-year-old was shot a few miles north at Bertha Ross Park. In that case, a 19-year-old was arrested a day later.
It’s a troubling trend that IMPD says needs to stop. Ofc. Samone Burris said it starts with better conflict resolution.
“Whether it’s walking away, whether it’s saying, ‘You know what, you’re right,’ or whether saying, ‘I was wrong’ and walking away,” Burris said. “People get to live to see another day.”
This summer, IMPD will be working closely with Indy Parks rangers and also offering additional overtime opportunities for officers to help patrol parks and pools.
“We want our community to be safe. We want our community members to utilize conflict resolution so that our youth can have fun and our families can have fun and enjoy the areas in which they live,” Burris said.
Police also plan on utilizing its technology in the parks, adding that the best tool is the community’s help.
“Everybody can play a role in this summer and make sure that our kids stay safe,” Burris said.
Tuesday evening, police confirmed to 13News that a group on the basketball court at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park exchanged gunfire with people driving by.
There were several yellow evidence markers on the basketball court, each representing a shell casing found by investigators. Police said 45 shell casings have been recovered so far.
Anyone with information about Monday night’s shooting is asked to contact IMPD or Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.