INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis police detectives arrested a juvenile suspect Monday, a day after a mass shooting at a local house left five people dead, including a pregnant woman and a 13-year-old.
A statement from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) said the suspect's name and photo are not being released because the person is not an adult. Scripps station WRTV in Indianapolis reports that the suspect is a 17-year-old who has been arrested on initial charges of murder and intentional manslaughter with a handgun and attempted murder.
“Yesterday, we promised swift justice for this heinous act. Today, we delivered on that promise," IMPD Chief Randal Taylor said in a statement. "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.
"I am grateful to all of the IMPD officers and criminal justice partners who have worked tirelessly for the last 30 plus hours to bring justice for these victims, their friends and families, and our entire community. I ask community members to join me in praying for the continued recovery of the young man whose life has been forever changed."
Kezzie Childs, 42, Raymond Childs, 42, Elijah Childs, 18, Rita Childs, 13, Kiara Hawkins, 19, and Hawkins' unborn child died in the shooting that occurred after 4 a.m. local time on Sunday.
Investigators were led to the scene after making contact with a boy who had been shot. He is expected to survive.
New Details: 17 yr old arrested in connection to the Adams Street shootings was arrested on an initial charge of Murder/Intentional Manslaughter with a handgun and Attempted murder. These are initial charges. I expect a hearing to waive the teen to adult court @wrtv pic.twitter.com/QK6XO6kkFB
— Rafael Sánchez (@RafaelOnTV) January 25, 2021
At a news conference Sunday afternoon, Taylor said the mass shooting did not appear to be a random act.
"I don't know what goes through a person's mind," Taylor said. "I don't know what kind of lie they listen to in their head that would tell them that pulling the trigger on anybody, but especially on this many people, is the right thing to do. Our community doesn't deserve this."
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett added at the news conference the suspect "perpetrated an act of evil in our city."
"While we're still learning more about the circumstances that led to this incident, I want to be very clear about something, what happened this morning was not an act of simple gun violence," Hogsett said. "As tragic as a simple act of gun violence is, what happened (Sunday) morning was a mass murder."
This story was originally published by Daniel Bradley on WRTV in Indianapolis.
