IMPD officer: Indy’s gun violence ‘becoming too familiar for our children’
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — “One incident of violent crime in our community is one too many,” said Samone Burris, a public information officer for the police department.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is pleading with the public for help to find out who shot a 5-year-old girl on Wednesday. A second child in the home suffered minor injuries when she was hit by debris.
Just after 1 a.m. Wednesday, officers were called to the 9700 block of East 42nd Street, between Post and Mitthoeffer roads, for a report of a person shot.
“It is very critical for our community to come together. Our officers know, our detectives know that it takes everyone in our community to solve these cases,” Burris said.
She says the girl’s shooting and similar incidents are happening far too often. Wednesday’s shooting came less than a week after 12-year-old Day’Shawn Bills was shot and killed by what police called a stray bullet that went into his grandmother’s home. Police continue to search for the gunman.
“It’s very sad that this is what we have come to and that it’s becoming too familiar for our children. Our children are having to deal with this on a constant basis,” Burris said. “We just need to hold the people responsible for these crimes accountable and I think accountability for everybody is what’s really at stake here.”
She says people’s lives are worth more than the act of violence.
“Again, we try to tell our residents, we try to tell our children, we try to tell the youth your life matters, your life is worth more than gun violence. Your life is worth more than picking up a gun and taking the life of someone else or harming someone else because you’re upset or because you’re mad.”
