ANDERSON, Ind. — A total of seven people have been arrested in connection with a mass shooting at an anti-violence block party in Anderson on July 21. The most recent arrest was on Sept. 5. The following four people have been charged:
- Arenas Clay, 21, is charged with criminal recklessness, dealing marijuana and unlawful carrying of a handgun.
- Rosey Smith, 20, is charged with criminal recklessness and resisting law enforcement
- Tavion Beard, 22, is charged with possession of a machine gun and unlawful carrying of a firearm by a serious violent felon
- Donisha Askew, 19, is charged with criminal recklessness.
Two others arrested in connection with the case have not been charged as of the publishing of this article. A juvenile has also been arrested.
(NOTE: 13News does not use the names of suspects until they have been formally charged.)
Anderson police said they worked with the ATF and other local police agencies to identify the suspects.
Seven injured in mass shooting
Just after midnight July 21, police responded to a report of large gathering of people that was blocking a roadway and had recently began fighting in the 2200 block of Arrow Avenue, near Tracy Park. Moments later, multiple gunshots rang out through the crowd.
As officers made their way to the gunfire through the big crowd, Anderson police said they found several people who had been shot, with two in serious condition.
All of the victims were taken to local hospitals, but the two who were seriously injured were later transferred to an Indianapolis hospital.
In an update the following Monday, the Anderson Police Department identified seven of the victims, who were all described as "stable," as:
- One 18-year-old
- One 19-year-old
- One 21-year-old
- Two 22-year-olds
- One 23-year-old
- One 25-year-old
"An anti-violence block party where they was promoting no violence in these type of settings. They was trying to prove that they could come together as a community and have a party without any kind of violence. And unfortunately, that didn't happen," resident Paris Powell Redfield said.
Redfield has been in this community for most of his life.
"A block party went astray, and some kids got hurt," Redfield said. "It's very disheartening."
Redfield said it was mainly younger people out at the party. He went to the scene the following morning just watching and taking it all in, even talking to people who came to find lost belongings.
"Really scary and surprising"
"Out of the year we've been here, nobody has ever shot a gun out here, so this was a really scary and surprising experience," Kaci Woods said.
Woods' home was in the middle of the chaos. Her Ring doorbell camera recorded some of the events at the block party, including people hiding from the gunfire behind her house.
"That's the scary part of it all because I thought we could all hang out and get along and be fine, but somebody had to come along and mess it up and hurt several people," Woods said.
The Monday after the shooting, you could also see people in bright green vests, like Jason Fullington, who founded the Madison County Hand-up Initiative.
Fullington said he and his group go to neighborhoods after shootings happen to offer support.
"Sometimes, it's in the ways of just letting people have a voice and letting them express their concerns with the community," Woods said. "It's also to maybe connect them with resources they may need to help them in a situation they may be in."
Both Woods and Fullington said nothing good happens after midnight.
"I don't believe a party should be going on that late in the first place. I'm not trying to cast judgment, but at the same time, we have teenagers on the street in the middle of the night, and they're carrying pistols," Fullington said. "It's not a safe environment, and I don't want my children in that environment, and I think most parents wouldn't, but I think more parents need to be involved and keep their children off the street."
(NOTE: the video at the top of this story is from when 19-year-old Donisha Askew was charged on Aug. 2.)