Community leaders say coronavirus played role in violent Indianapolis weekend
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Seven people were killed, and nine people were shot in weekend violence in Indianapolis, according to Aliya Wishner, the chief communications officer for IMPD-City of Indianapolis.
Wishner also said from midnight Friday through 6 a.m. Monday, there were a total of eight nonfatal shooting incidents.
A map aired during News 8 at 5 and 6 showed the locations of this weekend’s violence.
James Wilson, the founder and chief executive officer for Circle Up Indy summed up the weekend for News 8: “A lot of anger, frustration and hurt.”
Wilson’s group tries to help the community improve by addressing violence. He said the coronavirus pandemic played a big role in the weekend’s violence.
“My phone rings all hours of the night, and I’m hearing them, from seniors all the way down to young people and their families trying to make it. It goes back to the socioeconomic trauma that takes effect.”
Randal Taylor, the chief of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, explained to News 8, “People are just not coping well with their emotions. It’s causing people to respond, unfortunately, violently.”
He told News 8 that IMPD has a plan.
“So, the plan, moving forward, is to make sure we’re partnering mental health groups. Some of these grassroots groups that we’ve given grant money to and relying on the community to let us know or let mental health workers know if they see people that don’t seem to be coping very well with their emotions or their frustrations. Please let us know so we can get in front of it,” the police chief said.
