Frustrated IMPD Chief Addresses Fourth of July Gun Violence

Source: PHOTO: WISH-TV

INDIANAPOLIS – The violence needs to stop. That was the message from IMPD Chief Chris Bailey Friday afternoon after there were several shootings in Indianapolis on the 4th of July.

“The small number of people that are responsible for violent crime in our community have to do better,” said Bailey in a press conference Friday afternoon. “They have to be better, or we’re going to continue to see these types of things happening regardless of how much our department pushes them down.”

There were at least four shootings in Indianapolis Thursday, with one of them including a fatality. Bailey says an argument over fireworks is what led to one of the shootings.

“I mean, what do we think is going to occur on July fourth? People are going to use fireworks. That is no reason to get in a disturbance and end up shooting at your neighbors. It’s senseless. It makes no logical sense,” said Bailey.

Another victim from Thursday is an 11-year-old boy, according to Bailey. He says the child was watching fireworks when he was a hit by a stray bullet that someone shot into the air. A frustrated Chief Bailey said he did not know how much more clear he could be that when bullets go up, they must come down.