8 hours in Indianapolis: 2 killed, 6 injured in separate shootings across city

Indianapolis saw six separate shootings Wednesday night into Thursday morning across the city, with two people killed and six others injured.

"The question is how did these people come to the decision of using a gun versus verbal resolution,” said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Genae Cook. “What was so horrible a gun had to be used versus verbal resolution. I don't know exactly the circumstances of each of these situations but one thing I can tell you is IMPD is continuing its efforts in violence reduction.”

North side shooting leaves father and son dead

Two men were killed in a shooting in the 2600 block of Hillside Avenue on the city's north side late Wednesday.

Officers responded around 11:20 p.m. and found two men shot at the location near East 27th Street and North Keystone Avenue.

One man died at the scene in the residential area. The other was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died Thursday.

The two men were identified as Michael B. Rollins Jr., 18, and Michael Rollins Sr., 39. by the Marion County Coroner's Office.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to contact homicide detective Gary Toms at 317-327-3475 or by email at Gary.Toms@indy.gov.

Man dies in parking lot of northeast side apartment complex after shootings along East 38th Street

A few hours later, officers patrolling the city’s northeast side around 3 a.m. Thursday heard gunshots. Shortly after, they found a man in the parking lot of a nearby apartment complex in the 9000 block of East 38th Place. He died at the scene.

Another man was found nearby shot in a parking lot in the 9500 block of East 38th Street. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

"Preliminary information leads investigators to believe both incidents may be connected," a news release from Indianapolis police stated.

Anyone with information about these shootings is asked to contact homicide detective Connie Pearson at 317-327-3475 or by email at Connie.Pearson@indy.gov.

Non-fatal shootings:

• Officers responded to the intersection of West Vermont Street and North Holmes Avenue on Indianapolis’ west side around 7:50 p.m. Wednesday on a report of a person shot. A person was found with gunshot injuries in critical condition.

• At about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to the 200 block of East Washington Street in downtown Indianapolis on a report of a person shot. Officers found a person, awake and breathing, with gunshot injuries.

• Officers responded to Eskenazi Hospital just after midnight Thursday on a report of a person shot. Officers located a person with gunshot injuries. A condition for the person was not provided.

• Close to 2 a.m. Thursday, officers responded to the 8400 block of Spyglass Drive on the city’s northwest side on a report of a person shot. They located a person, awake and breathing, with gunshot wound injuries.

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In total, Indianapolis saw nine people shot and killed in homicides this week as of Friday afternoon.

"It's definitely concerning," said Shonna Majors, Executive Director of Brightwood Community Center. "Sometimes these people don't even live in this area and it brings fear to residents and business owners and it's very concerning. We have schools in the area, kids in the area."

The Brightwood community center is about one mile from where the fatal shooting on Hillside Avenue occurred Wednesday. It also is about two miles from a fatal shooting that occurred Tuesday in the 3700 block of North Tacoma Avenue.

IMPD’s violence reduction teams as well as the city’s Office of Public Health and Safety are available to help people with conflict resolution or get out of negative situations before they escalate, Cook said.

"Maybe they are influenced by other people or have mentors who are not healthy mentors,” Cook said. “If they decide they want out of that situation, OPHS has people that can help them get out and help them create a new life for themselves."

The police department’s violence reduction team is focused on repeat offenders and those who seem to be causing the most violence in the community, which is having an impact, Cook said.

“We are still down on our percentages and that's showing that what we are doing is working,” Cook said. “It's not going to be over night. It's going to be a process and we hope that the community continues to work with us on this to make Indianapolis better.”

According to data released by the police department Tuesday, homicides in the city are down 17% compared to last year, while non-fatal shootings are down 13%.

Indianapolis City-County Council member William "Duke" Oliver's District 9 saw homicides on back-to-back days this week.

District 9 includes North Tacoma Avenue where a man was shot and killed Tuesday as well as the 2200 block of East 38th Street, where a man was shot and killed early Wednesday.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families that have been impacted by the senseless acts of gun violence in our city," Oliver said in a statement emailed to IndyStar. "It is heartbreaking to me when these incidents happen in my community — not just as a Councillor, but as a husband and father, too. Violence has no place in our city, and our family, friends, and neighbors deserve to live in safe neighborhoods."

Public safety is a one of the top priorities for the Council and Oliver noted the unanimously approved plan to invest $45 million in grassroots organizations trying to address the root causes of violence, Oliver said. Round two of those grants were awarded yesterday, he noted.

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"While my colleagues and I work with the administration to address the root causes of violence in our city, our role in addressing gun violence on a local level is unfortunately limited," Oliver said in the statement. "The violence in our community continues because of the inaction of our state legislature. In July, the permitless carry legislation took effect, which made it easier for anyone and everyone in our community to carry a gun — without a permit and without a background check. We need less guns on the streets, not more.

"We have lost and continue to lose many lives to gun violence, and especially young people. Our community has had enough, and we need to all work together to put a stop to the violence. I will continue to be an advocate for my constituents and do what I can to keep our neighborhoods safe. "

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis crime: Two people killed, six others injured in shootings