City leaders march for peace following violent day in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — City and community leaders gathered Friday at 34th and Keystone on Friday to march against violence in Indianapolis. Shortly before the march began, police were busy investigating two violent situations.
The first, where a 3-year-old was shot at the Brownstone Apartments near 34th and Meridian. According to IMPD there is a possibility the child may have shot himself, police said another person was in the room at the time.
At last check, the boy was in serious condition.
Jay Sparks doesn’t know the little boy but lives just down the street from where the shooting happened.
“It’s something you don’t wish on anybody. You just don’t like to see that happen to anybody whether you know them or not,” he said.
About an hour later, police were called to a home on Boulevard Place near 38th and Meridian. IMPD officers said a man in his 60s had been stabbed, he died at the hospital. Police are investigating that situation as a homicide.
“What goes through my mind is what happened? How it could have been prevented? Why it happened?” asked Mayor Joe Hogsett after learning about the situation.
The neighborhood is one Reverend Charles Harrison has spent a lot of time in. He said it’s come a long way and he hopes this incident doesn’t send it in the wrong direction.
“That neighborhood was about 40 days away from going another year without a homicide, it would have been 4 out of 5 years without a homicide. Everybody was really frustrated because everyone was working so hard to make that a better neighborhood and they can’t let that one incident deter them from the work that they’re doing,” said Harrison.
At the march Hogsett said, “it’s appropriate we end a violent day with a commitment from the community to fight for peace instead of fighting each other.”
The newly formed Coalition of Peace organized marches in different neighborhoods with high rates of violence all month long.
There is one more planned for July 31 at 29th & Doctor M.L.K. Jr. Street.
This age of the young victim of the shooting has been updated after police released additional information.
