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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowEditor’s note: This story was updated after a third shooting victim died at the hospital.
After four people were shot—three fatally—in Broad Ripple early Sunday morning, the Broad Ripple Village Association and the city of Indianapolis have begun a process that would create a temporary gun-free zone in the village’s entertainment district.
The shootings at about 2:30 a.m. in the 800 block of Broad Ripple Avenue left a 24-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman dead at the scene. A wounded 22-year man and 21-year-old woman were taken to the hospital, where the man died later Sunday. The woman is expected to recover, authorities said.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is still searching for suspects and asking witnesses to come forward.
The BRVA sent a letter to the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office after the shooting, requesting the city create a gun-free zone, association member Kip Tew said at a press conference Sunday. The zone would be in effect every Friday and Saturday night starting next weekend and ending Aug. 31.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said he intends to take action on the request.
“If this permit is approved, I have pledged my full support that IMPD and other city agencies will provide the resources and support to enforce this reasonable request,” Hogsett said.
State law preempts cities from regulating guns, but cities are allowed to assist private event holders in creating gun-free zones when those events are on public property. The BRVA needs to apply for a special event permit, request that the event is gun-free and then request city assistance, said Corporation Counsel Matt Giffin.
Hogsett announced the state law carve-out as part of a multifaceted gun violence plan in late May.
The same framework was recently used at the WonderRoad Music Festival at Garfield Park on June 17-18. Because the Broad Ripple entertainment district is a less-contained property, the administration said i would have to work out details on how a gun-free zone would be defined and enforced.
Additionally, IMPD and the city prosecutor will meet with owners of problem properties identified by law enforcement, Hogsett said. If those owners aren’t compliant with requests, the city will seek legal cures to the issues, he said.
“If you do not take basic common-sense steps to ensure that your properties are not magnets for criminal activity, we will use the full force of law to hold you accountable,” Hogsett said.
IMPD officials said about 400 to 500 people were on the streets of Broad Ripple around the time of the shootings.
The Broad Ripple Village Association previously requested support with crime-fighting efforts from the Hogsett administration in May after several other shooting incidents.
Indianapolis mayoral candidate Jefferson Shreve, a Republican running against Hogsett, called the Sunday morning’s violence “absolutely heartbreaking and tragic.”
“I am outraged that the Broad Ripple Village, a place for young Indianapolis residents, those starting their families, and those who’ve lived there for decades alike, is no longer a safe place,” he said in written remarks. “I am in favor of any practical and effective measure to get guns out of Broad Ripple at night. Employing technology to prevent guns from entering public spaces where crowds mix with alcohol is a worthwhile endeavor. As usual, it is hard to disagree with the sentiment the Mayor sets forth, but the substance and execution are sorely lacking.”
Shreve said the city has taken too long to work on crime issues in Broad Ripple and throughout the city.
“Residents and business owners agree weekend loitering on the streets outside the Broad Ripple establishments is the source of violence,” he said. “This is not new; last night was not a random occurrence. Yet today we learned the city has ‘begun’ the process of engaging with problem businesses to correct this loitering.
“It is remarkable how many anti-crime initiatives are ‘begun’ during an election year for this election-year mayor. Finger pointing supplants practical steps like additional cameras in places like Broad Ripple Avenue, or hiring a public safety director to ensure accountability across city government. Right now, no one is accountable across all the agencies of city government for our public safety—except Joe Hogsett. The mayor campaigned on a promise to act as his own public safety director. He has kept his promise—and this weekend’s violence is yet another example that he is failing to deliver.”
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Despite the few bad citizens that descend on the strip on Friday and Saturday nights, Broad Ripple is thriving. The much needed and long overdue sewer replacement is halfway complete. When the flow of traffic can resume on Broad Ripple Avenue, we’ll shed the loitering, and hence, the idle hands that bring guns to Broad Ripple.
The BRipp business community is taking steps to correct our recent struggles with the late night crowd. We will emerge in a few short months stronger. Patience needed. A tough ask when lives are lost, but this is a work in progress.
The fact that there are 120 guns for every 100 people in the US means that you will always have guns in BR. Mix guns with a young crowd with alcohol and this is the result you’ll get.
The completion of the sewer project won’t have any impact on the gun problem. Nor will a gun-free zone. The problem is a bunch of young, hot-head thugs who think they can solve their problems by killing them. We aren’t even close to getting this problem solved.
One way to get started… repeal recent Indiana gun laws. Gun owners need to be 21, have a background check and carry a permit.
1+
+1
+1!
Why does this “New Gun Law” only seem to be affecting Indianapolis? Carmel, Lafayette, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Coatsville, Sheridan, ETC, ETC all have the same “New Gun Law” but don’t have the same problem. The city of Speedway throughs a party with 500,000 drunken participants, many are armed, and not one dumb shooting event. No this isn’t about the Gun Laws. It must be something else.
Thank-you Donald!
It’s starting to creep out to the suburbs. States that have enacted a permitless carry, see a gradual rise in shootings until they plateau about 10% higher over the next 10 years. What was once rare or non-existent in suburbs and smaller towns will start to see the more incidents.
Also, when was the last time a young person said, “Let’s head to Carmel for great night life!”.
Dan M., +1
+1
They had this problem in the 1980s when a woman was killed outside the Alley Cat. It can be fixed. The need to move the IPD north ba k on to College Ave. They should have never moved I t.
Lock up gun felons.
Go back to Carry Permits.
Need a smidge more than permits. Need upfront and ongoing training for the weapon you’ve chosen to carry. I’m all for people carrying if they’ve taken the time and effort to demonstrate and maintain competence with their weapon. Rights come with responsibilities…
Like the situation at Greenwood Park Mall where a trained civilian neutralized the threat … we need more people like that. If you see someone with a weapon, you know that they know how to use it; THAT is deterrence.
With that, the clowns who can’t shoot straight? Go back to the range and work harder.
Bars should close much earlier. Nothing good happens at that hour.
Why can’t we enact reasonable gun laws? Wait time for purchase, carry permits. Sure we want freedoms but there must also be some measure of control. Also perhaps 1:00 closing hours for bars ? Caring minds should be able to find solutions. Right legislators? Quick ducking responsibility.
Why punish the 95% law-abiding majority (probably 99%, if we remove public intoxication from the equation) who aren’t going crack-boom-pow at 1am, simply because a few losers are?
We all know that these shootings aren’t happening from people with concealed carry permits.
Every city in America has gotten demonstrably less safe in the last 3-4 years. Sure doesn’t help when you have half-wit DAs who think soft-on-crime approaches will allow them to sort out the “root causes” nonsense, while again leaving law abiding citizens as sitting ducks.
Lauren B.
+ 1
We have an administration and a D.A. that are more concerned with
social justice than criminal justice.
Just more leftwing social justice nonsense.
You can’t be pro-life and pro-gun . A gun is a tool designed to abort life at any point between before conception to the last breath . Our so called gun laws are pro-abortion.
Possibly the most ludicrous analogy I’ve heard.
There is no helping you
Charles you are spin doctor with a Phd.
Lock the bad guys up instead of catch and release Mears’ low bail ankle monitor justice. Gun free zones just tell the criminals where they’ll have free reign. Absolutely worthless.
You have an extra half-billion to build a new prison? Because our prisons are overcrowded.
School-up please on the prosecutor’s/courts’ actions.
Gun free stops the brandishing of holsters etc on gunslinger belts. See a gun? Arrest them.
period. Its a start.
Not starting is not doing anything. Stop the cynicism of “it wont work” etc….do something.
Gun free zones tell troublemakers that when they’re caught, and they will be caught, they’ll face weapon related sentences. Prosecutor Mears will support.
You? Unless you live in Broad Ripple, your opinion rings hollow.
Never ceases to amaze how the left thinks writing a new law will solve the problem when they don’t enforce the laws we have now. If writing a law will solves it then lets make speeding and drugs illegal. Then there’s that pesky habit of the criminal element to not give a rat’s behind about whatever the law is.
You wanted Mears Indy; now you have to live with the consequences
Rick S.
Yes!
Build another prison if needed.
We have a prosecutor that is more concerned with social justice than
criminal justice. Mears flat out said his goal was racial equity and social
justice. Hasn’t worked out has it??
We have more people on ankle bracelet monitors than any other city in the
country. It’s has been an utter disaster. The recidivism rate for people on
the ankle monitors is around 75% in Marion County.
The low bail also has a much higher recidivism rate than higher bails.
In other words the community is more risk with Mear’s social justice policies.
Totally agree that the bars should close earlier. My father used to say “nothing good happens after midnight.” Also, what would a “gun free” zone accomplish? Seriously? I am so embarrassed to be a resident of this city. Enough already!!! So much fir “Hoosier Hospitality.”
Does the city/IMPD still enforce the youth curfew? Seems like a lot of this “loitering” is underage youths with no business being in the area.
Gun free zones are the worst idea ever. Sorry but you have to try harder
Agreed. As if the people carrying the guns follow ‘gun laws.’ Its a joke and half-hearted attempt to look like something is being done.
The prosecutors don’t prosecute but blame it on guns, not people shooting people. Typical democrat thinking! More citizens shooting criminals is the answer, remember Greenwood.
Had police entered into the Greenwood mall as the civilian was shooting the criminal how would you expect the police to act? Their training would be to fire at the gunmen and in this case the civilian could have been shot by police.
If everyone has guns how do you determine good vs bad in the heat of the moment?
How will this be enforced without severely violating 2nd, 4th, and 5th amendment rights?
Gun free zones are well within the noted amendments and a common way as described in the article.
Perhaps read the article to understand why?
How? Well…can you bring a gun on airplane? What…my second amendment right to a militia?
Can you bring a gun into the intensive care unit of a hospital?
School?
Thats how, Spencer. Wise up and stop with the “violating the rights”…
It won’t, and those gun-free zones routinely don’t hold up to judicial scrutiny.
It’ll be fun turning a crowded Broad Ripple weekend night into the equivalent of skeet shooting. And then, in a matter of time, Broad Ripple won’t be so crowded.
“State law preempts cities from regulating guns” – just about says it all. Closing the bars at midnight is probably about the best anyone is able to get done. If that.
Gun free zone? Seriously? Criminals don’t follow laws. How about a bigger police presence to deter the thugs.
Background checks are done on purchases. Thugs don’t get permits and that’s the first charge dropped. When the prosecutor doesn’t prosecute and the mayor goes after law enforcement this is what happens
Because the police are not private security.
Perfectly said Gregg!
The elephant remains in the room! Apparently it can’t be said, in fear of racism, in lieu of truth and fact.
+1
++++++1
There are truths that need to be discussed. But it won’t happen because
the Dems and their supporters won’t allow it.
So true!
Because criminals adhere to “gun free zones”? Ridiculous idea.
If you haven’t noticed, it’s been a free for all since Joe was elected mayor. Murders, crime, and general lawlessness have skyrocketed since this whimp took office. He’s either behind a podium telling us about the problem, cutting ribbons, drunk, or in rehab. He has not done his job to protect and make the city better and safer for the citizens. His time is up. And “gun free zones”??? What a waste of time and resources.
Joe is just working with the garbage the state legislature hands him. Need money for police, sorry, property tax cap. Need money for roads, sorry were sending your gas tax money to Green County. Need fewer guns on the street, sorry, permitless carry.
Look at folks like Dan passing the buck so he can defend his beloved party. If the problem is the “garbage the state legislature hands [Hogsett]”, why aren’t we seeing such astronomically high homicide rates in the remaining 98% of Indiana’s land area? Why weren’t there such high crime rates under Bart Peterson? It was still a GOP majority legislature back then. Even most other large-ish cities in Indiana don’t have such pronounced crime.
Its common sense. If you take away any rights of law abiding citizens, it makes it safer for everyone. Gun Free Zones have made criminals forfeit their guns with a 100% success rate. Facts do not lie, also in related news it is opposite day.
Eric, pay attention. More guns are being stolen by the bad guys from rightful owners who don’t secure their firearms (leaving them in their cars, on their kitchen counters, by their front doors). Stolen guns are the issue, yet there are no penalties imposed on the folks who are so reckless.
Brent, you really think that the insane homicide rates in urban centers throughout America is purely driven by stolen guns “from rightful owners”? That your usual gang-banger gets it from lawful owners leaving them in cars and kitchen counters? You don’t think black market acquisition has anything to do with it?
Furthermore, it sounds like you believe the lawful owner whose gun gets stolen is the “reckless” one who should have penalties imposed. Am I understanding you correctly? Hopefully I am not. Because a rational conclusion would still be that the “bad guys” who are obtaining firearms illegally are the ones we should be punishing.
But it is normal for people of your alignment to seek to punish the good guys, so perhaps I really am understanding you correctly.
If you are at a bar drinking you are not allowed to be carrying. Clearly, this issue is with criminals only. A gun free zone will not stop someone who isn’t supposed to have a gun in the first place. Maybe have extremely strict laws against people who are illegally possessing a gun. If you are a legally carrying you should be applauded for doing so because you cannot solely rely on the police or the government for your protection against criminals.
Those criticizing, what is your idea? It’s easy to cast stones, like Mr. Shreve does. Where has he been as a “community leader”? Oh, he’s been busy enriching himself so now he can spend his money criticizing local government and trying to buy power. Maybe Shreve should spend some of his cash and invest his time in lobbying his own party in control of state government to help the city out some instead of passing laws telling the city what it cannot do.
Jefferson Shreve has been promising to actually have some policy ideas for almost two months now.
Still waiting.
Go away, Jefferson Shreve. Not impressed.
And, this happens so frequently on Fri and Sat nights in BR. It’s no surprise. You can practically plan on it. Why, then, is there not a much larger police presence during these times?
Michael G.
We don’t have the number of police officers that we need. Every major city
in the country is having a horrible time recruiting and retaining police officers.
Thank your BLM/Antifa for that.
Keith, are you really saying the problem is the protesters who insist that maybe cops shouldn’t have carte blanche to beat people as they wish and lock up everyone?
That’s really the Rick Snyder solution to the problem.
Joe B.
Who said that cops should have carte blanc to beat people???
Police should be held accountable. Abuse should NOT be tolerated.
IMPD didn’t have a problem recruiting and retaining police officers
until the BLM/Antifa protests and RIOTS. Hmmmm??? Coincidence??
Indianapolis is having the same problems recruiting and retaining police
officers as every other big city in the country that experienced heavy
BLM/Antifa protests and riots.
** Where ever BLM/Antifa were the most active and violent, the more difficult
to recruit and retain police officers **. Think Minneapolis, Portland. Seattle,
Louisville, Chicago, Indianapolis, ect….
Here’s another little secret that the Dems and their supporters don’t like.
In 2021 shootings and homicides jumped 30% in our cities nationwide.
The surge was most notable in the cities that experienced the most
BLM/Antifa protests and riots.
Last, I’m NOT in agreement with the R’s regarding the new gun laws.
I also don’t think that 18 and 19 year olds should legally be able to
purchase a hand gun. Heck, we don’t trust them to pop a beer tap
or smoke, so they should NOT be able to buy a gun.
** That said, our surge in shootings started years before the new gun law
was passed. **
While this will take guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens who carry legally for protection, do they really think criminals are going to abide by the law? THEY ARE CRIMINALS!
Exactly, how about the prosecutor punish criminals and not slap them on the wrist
Solution is not electing another Democrat prosecutor that doesn’t prosecute gun crimes! That’s what gets the bad guys with guns off the street, not some silly temporary, meaningless “gun-free zone”.
This is a worthless measure. Place a curfew on the bars and or get rid of the bars that. these start in
No one is shooting each other on Mass Ave Heck even DT is better than BR
Strict gun laws aren’t working in Cali or Illinois (See Chicago/Oakland/L.A.) so why would they work here? Sadly, it comes down to a creating a more civilized society, which means parenting your children, which means having a father in the home.
Also, having police doing their job without fear / and having prosecution lawyers/judges actually prosecute helps too.
Start with that.
With the level of prosecution in Indianapolis, guns are the least of your worries.
Don’t love Hogsett getting out from under the bed, during campaign season!
Gun free zones work so well In Chicago, don’t they? The same perpetrators time and time again are not afraid to break the law thanks to their socialist mayor and his social justice supporters. Don’t let Indy become another Chicago: arrest criminals and keep them there.