Large weekend parties held despite ‘stay at home’ order prompt concerns after 16-year-old killed

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Very close to the scene of a shooting where 16-year-old Nya Cope was killed by a stray bullet, a large parking lot party was taking place near 38th Street and Arlington Avenue.

IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said that they spent hours breaking up parties on Saturday as they moved from one location to another before shots were fired that killed the teen.

Parties where hundreds of people have taken over parking lots around the city have been reported both on Friday and Saturday and on social media, people were advertising a party at 29th and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. streets.

With Marion County still under a stay-at-home order, these parties are not only raising concerns for health reasons but for violence as well.

Ten Point Coalition’s Rev. Charles Harrison tweeted a photo of a parking lot near 38th and Arlington filled with cars and hundreds of people out partying on Saturday.

He said he saw a similar scene on Friday near 38th and Illinois.

“The large number of vehicles and blocking the traffic really concerned me,” said Harrison.

From Saturday’s party, videos and photos surfaced of fights taking place within the sea of cars. Hours later, IMPD says 16-year-old Cope was hit by a stray bullet inside the car she was in with her family. It is not clear if she was at the party at any point in the evening.

“The history that this city has had when we have had large gatherings, it always tends to lead to violence,” said Harrison.

Another party was being advertised for 6 p.m. Sunday, insinuating drugs and alcohol would be there.

When News 8 showed up, it looked like a very busy gas station with a lot of people hanging out outside of their cars. When IMPD arrived, it caused some to quickly drive off but not everyone. Cars continued to pile into the lot.

Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office responded to the trend in large gatherings this weekend by saying, “While it’s clear that residents are ready to enjoy the warm weather with friends and neighbors, violence and behaviors that risk the safety of others will not be tolerated.”

IMPD Chief Randall Taylor also responded to the parties in a statement saying, “Going forward, IMPD will use all the tools available to our department to prevent these mass gatherings and the potential violence which can result, just as we saw last night.”

Officials say if people would respect Marion County’s stay-at-home order, it would make a world of a difference, even for just one family.

“If everybody would have stayed at home, if we would have done what we were told to do because of COVID-19, then the 16-year-old girl would not have been killed last night,” said Harrison.

IMPD says violating the law can result in fines, summons and towed cars.