IMPD: 4-year-old shot on near northeast side of Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS — A 4-year-old boy was shot on the near northeast side of Indianapolis Sunday afternoon.

According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were first called to the 3600 block of North Dearborn Street around 12:30 p.m. on a report of a person shot. When police arrived at the scene, they located one individual — who detectives believe is a 4-year-old male — with injuries consistent with a gunshot wound.

IMPD reported that the juvenile was transported from the scene to a local hospital in critical condition. Police have not yet issued any additional updates on the boy’s condition.

Officials detained two persons of interest during their investigation of the incident, though no arrests have officially been made.

Police are still trying to determine what exactly led up to the incident. IMPD reported that its detectives are “investigating the possibility that this was an accidental shooting.”

“We’ve spoken on this lots, and I can’t express it enough, firearms are not a toy,” IMPD Public Information Officer Drew Brown said during a media briefing. “In this incident, we’re not exactly sure what the circumstances were that led up to this. So, I can’t say that with certainty as our detectives are still working on this. But we urge individuals with firearms — especially if children are present in the home — gun ownership and gun responsibility are one and the same. We can’t urge enough that firearm safety measures must be implemented.”

IMPD reported that its detectives, the Marion County Forensic Services Agency and Indiana Department of Child Services were all called to the scene to investigate the shooting. Police encourage those with additional information on the incident to contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477.

Sunday’s shooting happened just a block south of a home where a 2-year-old sustained a fatal gunshot wound during an accidental shooting . The child’s mother was arrested in June and charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death.

”I live here in this neighborhood and this is the third child here in this community that gets shot because of child finding a gun that is a toy,” neighbor Allen Bailey told FOX59 and CBS4’s Russ McQuaid. “And we need to do better.”

The number of Indy youth gun homicides has dropped by more than half compared with summer 2023, and last year’s record pace of wounded children has slowed.

”That is so disturbing to me, and if I let my emotions go, I’ll be crying right now,” Bailey said. “Because this hurts me in my heart … These babies don’t even have a chance because their parents are fearful of what’s going on in our neighborhoods.

“It is a weapon of destruction. I don’t care where you have defined it. Whether it’s your protection or you just want it for whatever reason, if you’re not a solider, if you’re not a police officer, leave that to them that knows what they doing.”

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