After Downtown Shooting, Indy Residents Hope for Change
INDIANAPOLIS — After a Saturday night shooting in downtown Indianapolis, some residents are thinking about what it might take to reduce the violence.
Two teenagers were killed and several others were injured. Police say four teens — ages 13, 15, 16, and 17 — have been arrested. Each faces charges for illegally having a gun. The 17-year-old, Vincent Lanking, is being charged as an adult. Prosecutors say he also ran from police and tried to hide what happened.
On Monday, July 7, the Marion County Coroner’s Office identified the teens who died as 15-year-old Azareaon S. Cole and 16-year-old Xavion Jackson.
One woman raising two daughters in the city says she still believes leaders can take steps to address the problem.
“I don’t know if ‘safe’ is the word I’d use to describe downtown right now,” she told WIBC. “I hope they can add more police to help.”
Another man, who says he’s experienced gun violence himself, believes more public investment could make a difference.
“As a middle-class to lower middle-class resident, I don’t mind paying a little more if it means better public safety, especially if it includes gun control,” he said.
