Four critical in shooting hours after Indianapolis city leaders voted to spend more than $3M to reduce violent crime
- A shooting early Tuesday in the suburb of Lawrence left four men in critical condition
- The incident took place just hours after the city voted to spend over $3M, including about half to the police department to combat rising homicides in the city
- Three other shootings happened while or after officials met to discuss the vote
- 113 people were killed in Indianapolis from January to June, up from 89 over the same span in 2020
Four shootings took place in Indianapolis, Indiana, starting Monday into early Tuesday, including one that left four people in critical condition and came hours after the city pledged more than $3 million to address violent crime and mental health.
Officers with the Indianapolis Metro Police Department found four males shot after 1 a.m. Tuesday in Lawrence, a suburb on the city's northeast side.
The victims are listed in critical condition, according to WTHR.
Four shootings took place Monday night and early Tuesday morning, around the same time Indianapolis leaders voted to fund police with an additional $1.5 million to fight violent crime
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Police told the station that the shooting began inside a house and spilled out into the street, hitting two cars but sparing any nearby homes.
It was the fourth such incident that took place during or shortly after the Indianapolis City-County Council voted Monday to give the police department an additional $1.5 million to improve 'the efficiency of IMPD's response to potential violent crime through investments in technology and data analysis,' according to a statement from the city.
The plan was proposed by Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett in response to rising violence.
It awards another $1.8M to the city's Office of Public Health and Safety to 'prioritize diversion over the arrest of those experiencing mental health or addiction crises.'
Between January and June, 113 people were killed in Indianapolis, up from 89 over the same span last year
'I'm not suggesting that tonight's fiscal will resolve every issue in gun violence that the city of Indianapolis has,' the mayor said in a statement according to WISH-TV.
'That will take time and, frankly, if we are to meaningfully change the trajectory of gun violence in our city, it's not going to be done by dollars alone.
'It's going to be done when every single person in Indianapolis does what he or she can to make our city a safer and more equitable city.'
From January to the end of June, 113 people were killed in Indianapolis, up from 89 victims over the same span in 2020, at the height of the pandemic.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office noted 317 non-fatal shootings from the beginning of this year through June 18, according to the Indianapolis Star.
The shooting early Tuesday was the fourth to take place in a spate that started Monday.
Police first responded to a shooting in the near northwest side of the city just before 8pm, while the council met to address the very issue.
A victim was found shot but awake and breathing.
A second shooting took place 15 minutes later on the west side of the city. The victim of that one was awake, but police released no further details.
Less than 30 minutes later, officers responded to a drive-by shooting on the west side at around 8:30 p.m.
The man was found in his car in critical condition, but died upon arrival at Eskenazi Hospital.
