17-Year-Old Suspect Arrested for Mass Shooting That Killed 5 People, Including Pregnant Woman
The 17-year-old suspect for a mass shooting at a house on Adams Street was arrested on Monday by Indiana police detectives.
The mass shooting left five people and unborn child dead, according to a WRTV report.
Indiana Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement that the suspect's name and photo are not being released as the person is not an adult.
Teen suspect may be tried as adult
It was reported that the 17-year-old suspect is related to the victims. Any additional information about the juvenile suspect's identity was not made available. However, that could likely change if they are charge as an adult, according to a Crime Online report.
Investigators do not believe that any other suspects were involved with the crime.
IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said in a statement that they promised a swift justice for this crime yesterday. Taylor said that they delivered that promise today.
"While removing the alleged perpetrator of yesterday's mass murder from our neighborhoods does not bring back the lives senselessly lost, hopefully, it will bring us one step closer to healing as a community," Taylor was quoted on an Indy Star report.
The victims were Kezzie Childs, Raymond Childs, Elijah Childs, and Rita Childs. They were 43, 18, and 13 when they were killed.
The list also includes Kiara Hawkins, who was 19 years old. Hawkins was pregnant and her unborn child was pronounced dead after being found in a home around 4.a.m. on Sunday.
Police have not released any information about suspect's connection to the victims. The suspect's potential motive was not yet clear as of the moment.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said that the arrest of the suspect was the first step toward justice,
Hogsett that nothing can bring back the Childs family but he hopes that swift action of IMPD offers some comfort to all those who have been affected with this crime.
The Indianapolis mayor also expressed his gratitude to the men and women of IMPD.
The mass shooting on Adams Street was considered to be one of nearly a half-dozen shooting that took place in city in less than five hours.
Taylor also called the Adam Street killings the largest mass casualty shooting the city has seen in more than a decade.
More than 60 officers worked the case and several agencies were involved in the investigation.
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Mass shootings in U.S.
Nonprofit Gun Violence archive said that 2019 had the highest number of mass shootings in any year since they started keeping track.
There were 417 mass shootings in the U.S. by the end of 2019, out of which 31 were mass murders, according to a CBS News report.
GVA defines mass shooting as any event in which at least four people are shot. This excludes the shooters. The group also tracks mass murders in which at least four people are killed, as defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The GVA said that there was a total of 15,381-gun deaths, which includes homicides, suicides, and accidents. In 2019, the group tallied a total of 29, 568 gun-related injuries.
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