Indianapolis has violent Fourth of July night. Police use curfew to bust up groups downtown (2024)

INDIANAPOLIS — The city saw a violent night for this year's Fourth of July, with several people being sent to the hospital as a result of shootings, and large gatherings keeping police busy.

At least nine people caught up in the violence were transported to the hospital throughout the night with one person dying from their injuries. One of the people hurt by gunfire was an 11-year-old boy who was hit by a stray bullet.

11-year-old hit by stray bullet

At a meeting with the media Friday afternoon Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Chris Bailey spoke about the crime that occurred Thursday night.

During that meeting, he shared that an 11-year-old boy was hit by a stray bullet Thursday night.

"We saw an 11-year-old child hit by a stray bullet that went up into the sky and hit this poor kid who's trying to enjoy fireworks in his backyard," Bailey said. "(This is) something that we have told our community, over and over and over and over again, that is reckless and wrong behavior and that those bullets come down once they go into the air. I don't know how much more clear I can be about that."

When asked about the 11-year-old's condition, Bailey noted that his physical injuries were "fine" but it's unclear how the boy might be mentally after being struck by a bullet on Independence Day.

"It's disturbing because it's preventable. It doesn't have to happen, that poor kid did not have to be impacted by a bullet yesterday," Bailey said.

Police said the boy was shot in the 1100 block of North Tuxedo Street on the city's east side.

1 dead, 3 injured in shooting at Questend Drive South

Around 9:20 p.m. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police responded to calls of a person shot in the 2800 block of Questend Drive South, after a fight broke out between two parties, according to media outlets.

Four people were hurt in the shooting, however, one woman ultimately died from her injuries at the hospital, according to police. She was identified as Heather Lynn Walters, 48, by the Marion County Coroner's Office.

The three other men injured in the shooting are in stable condition.

Police believe one of the men at the hospital is the suspected shooter.

During a conference with the media, Bailey confirmed that police had previously been out to the site due to a disturbance, but he did not specifically know details regarding the first encounter.

"It was an ongoing disagreement between neighbors, regardless should not have ended up in a gun fight," Bailey said.

Three different shootings within 45 minutes early Friday morning

Early on July 5th morning, police responded to three separate shootings that occurred within 45 minutes throughout Indianapolis, according to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police.

• The first shooting happened at about 3 a.m. in the 300 block of W Michigan Street, where police located one person and transported them to an area hospital in stable condition.
• The second shooting occurred at about 3:15 a.m. in the 500 block of North Oakland Avenue. Police located one person and transported them in stable condition to an area hospital.
• The third shooting occurred at about 3:45 a.m. at the 6000 block of Windsor Drive. Police located one person and transported them in stable condition to an area hospital.

East 86^th Street

Around 9 p.m. police responded to reports of a person shot in the 1400 block of East 86th Street in the Nora neighborhood on the city's north side.

The person was in stable condition when sent to the hospital.

Downtown gathering tests new curfew law

Early Friday morning, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police responded to a large gathering of juveniles in downtown Indianapolis after people failed to follow Indiana's curfew law.

Police were called out near Meridian and Washingtonaround 2 a.m. to help disperse the gathering of people younger than age 18, according to media outlets.

The state's new law requires people under age 15 to be home between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. People between 15 and 17 must follow the same curfew on weeknights but can stay out until 1 a.m. on the weekends.

The crowd was downtown about 2 a.m., well after the completion of the city's Fourth of July fireworks show, police said.

Police initially asked the group to head home after making contact, however, the youth did not leave until police began flashing their lights and sirens, according to Fox59.

The rules: Indianapolis police to begin enforcing curfew. What you need to know

Contact Jade Jackson at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com. Follow her on Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON