INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis mayoral candidates Joe Hogsett and Jefferson Shreve are reacting to a Sunday morning shooting that left several people injured. The community is calling on both of them to end youth gun violence.
According to police, around 100 young people were having a party at a building in the 5100 block of 65th Street, near Binford Boulevard, when shots were fired around midnight. Police said nine people are injured and a teenage girl is dead as a result of the shooting. The age range for the victims is 16 to 21 years old.
Incumbent Democrat Mayor Joe Hogsett said that having laws like permitless carry has resulted in situations like this to happen and that guns should stay out of the hands of youth.
"When you add in a youthful inability to resolve conflict in this day in age, without pulling out a gun, you have a bad set of circumstances," Hogsett said.
Hogsett said it will take more than the police and city officials to end youth gun violence.
"Each of us have a role in making sure these tragic incidents don't occur," Hogsett said.
Republican mayoral candidate Jefferson Shreve said there needs to be a change in leadership, not only in city government, but also in the justice system.
"So kids don't think it's OK to tote a handgun around like this and solve all these kinds of incursions on Halloween," Shreve said. "It's ridiculous and just got to change."
Shreve also said gun violence has become the norm in Indianapolis, and if nothing is stopped, people will begin to overlook it.
"It's like part of the backdrop of Indianapolis, and it shouldn't be that way," Shreve said.
13News has reached out to the leasing office of that building to learn more about why a large party was inside but has not received a response.