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Indianapolis Star
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
'Something's gotta give': Gov. Braun hints state could intervene over Indy violence
Gov. Mike Braun signaled Tuesday that he's open to some kind of state intervention in Indianapolis if the city itself doesn't "make a change" in response to a recent spate of gun violence, despite criminal homicides being down year-over-year since 2021. That's what the president of the city's police union has publicly asked for, though specifics are lacking, following nearly a dozen shooting deaths in the first two weekends of July. Braun also declined to specify what kinds of interventions the state government may consider. "I think it would be a dereliction if you weren't at least talking about it, and then sooner or later seeing if they're going to take action that really shows results, or put your heads together in terms of what that next step might be," he told reporters at the governor's mansion Tuesday. "I'm not going to say what it's going to be. I'm saying it's at the point where something needs to change." A mass shooting downtown in the early hours of July 5 claimed the lives of two teens, in addition to three others shot and killed across the city over the holiday weekend. This past weekend, at least six people were killed. In response, the city-county council is considering extending the curfew for youth and adding punitive fines for parents whose kids violate curfew. Rick Snyder, president of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, yesterday indicated this response doesn't go far enough and called upon state elected leaders to "step in." Already during the July 4 holiday weekend, at the request of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Braun sent some state troopers to Indianapolis to assist with patrols, weapons recovery and arrests. Snyder hasn't responded to questions on what else specifically he'd like state leaders to do beyond this kind of operational assistance. Braun expressed some reluctance to trump local control, saying Indianapolis is "its own political subdivision," but he also said he doesn't want to see things get worse and earn the state headlines that, in his words, resemble those from larger urban areas. In an interview with IndyStar Wednesday, Senate Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, expressed similar sentiments: vague about what could be done, hesitant to usurp local control, but warning that the state may be willing to take action. "I'm just open to any conversation about how we can be helpful there. I should tell you, though, if people come to us for help, not everybody probably likes the things we come up with," he said. "I'm not going to say right now exactly what we're going to do, because it's extremely complicated and I need to listen to law enforcement and Rick Snyder and the FOP and figure out what it is exactly they need, because we want to be helpful if and where we can be. " Braun challenged residents of Indianapolis to "put different people in charge" and think about what things were like in the city nine years ago, referring to the Republican Greg Ballard's mayoral administration. "When it comes to our state capital, measured to where it was nine years ago, something's got to give," he said. See the data: Indianapolis homicide tracker 2025 Looking at just one statistic, criminal homicides, there were fewer of them nine years ago than there are in a given year today in Indianapolis. It should be noted, too, that the numbers have steadily increased each year since 2012, and Both the Mayor Greg Ballard and Joe Hogsett administrations, which span this time period, have shattered records. While in former Mayor Greg Ballard's first term in office, the criminal homicides typically numbered just below 100 per year, the city then broke a record during his second term: 144 criminal homicides in 2015, the most since 1998. That number has continued to climb. In 2021, a pandemic year, the city saw a historic 249 criminal homicides. The annual numbers have receded since then. So far this year, Indianapolis police have reported 84 criminal homicides. This figure is 27% lower than this time last year, according to IMPD data shared with IndyStar. Crime writ large in the downtown neighborhood is down 6% year-to-date.
Indianapolis Star
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indianapolis City-County Council pushes to start youth curfew 2 hours earlier after shooting
After a violent holiday weekend that included a mass shooting downtown in which two teenagers died, the Indianapolis City-County Council is pushing to impose an earlier youth curfew at the urging of the police chief and the mayor. A new proposal introduced at a July 7 council meeting would begin the curfew for all minors in Marion County two hours earlier. The council will also consider measures to hold parents and guardians accountable for their children's actions, including fines and parenting classes for repeat violations. Proposal No. 232 would make it unlawful for minors to be unsupervised in a public place in Marion County during the following hours: The curfew currently begins two hours later in each category, according to state law that the city follows. Under state law, it's illegal for teenagers ages 15-17 to be out alone in public after 1 a.m. on Saturday or Sunday and after 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday unless they are going to or returning from work, an extracurricular activity, or a religious event, among other exceptions. Children younger than 15 must be in their homes by 11 p.m. every day. The push to restrict the curfew follows a mass shooting involving juveniles gathered near Washington and Illinois Streets in the early hours of July 5, after thousands of people gathered downtown for the annual Fourth of July fireworks show. Two teenagers — Azareaon S. Cole, 15, and Xavion Jackson, 16 — were killed and five other people were injured. Police have charged four teens in connection with the shootings. While the current proposal would only extend the curfew, councilors said they aim to add civil penalties including fines and parenting classes for the parents and guardians of repeat offenders in a July 16 Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee meeting. The amended bill will return to the full council for a vote in a future meeting. Michael-Paul Hart, who leads the 25-member council's six Republicans, said that without penalties for parents, the resolution seems unlikely to improve safety among teens. "We've got a parental problem, sure," Hart said, "but just changing the hours isn't going to change the behavior." In the meantime, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department will redouble its efforts to enforce the existing curfew. Mayor Joe Hogsett said the city will back IMPD's efforts to boost enforcement and save lives. "The youth gun violence we experienced in our city this weekend was tragic, unacceptable — and completely preventable," Hogsett said in a written statement. "Our city's youth have no business being out unsupervised in the middle of the night."
Indianapolis Star
07-07-2025
- Indianapolis Star
At least 30 people shot in Indy over holiday weekend. 5 didn't survive
This article will update. Five people are dead and 25 more are injured after a staggeringly violent Fourth of July weekend in Indianapolis. It was 2025's most violent weekend by far, preceded by another record-setting amount of violence just the previous weekend. "I'm not sure anymore what it's going to take for some in our community to wake up," Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Chris Bailey said after a downtown shooting killed two teens in the early morning hours of July 5. The city will assist with IMPD's "active enforcement" of a youth curfew downtown in response to a mass shooting that killed two teens, Mayor Joe Hogsett wrote on social media. Under that law, a 16-year-old cannot be unaccompanied in public after 11 p.m. or before 5 a.m. on a weeknight. Here's what we know about the shootings that took place over the holiday weekend. July 4, 5:20 a.m.: Police were called to the 3600 block of St. Thomas Lane. Officers who arrived at the scene found a man shot. He was taken to a hospital in stable condition. July 4, 7:30 p.m.: Officers and park rangers were called to the 7700 block of Lafayette Road on the report of a person shot. When they arrived at that address, which is located in Eagle Creek Park, they found two men on the shoreline of a river with gunshot wounds. Both were taken to a hospital in critical condition, and one man died after arrival. July 5th, 1:30 a.m.: IMPD was responding to a fight downtown at around 1:30 a.m. when gunshots were heard near the intersection of West Market Street and North Illinois Street. When police arrived on the scene, they found six people shot, several of them teenagers. Another person involved arrived at a local hospital. A 16-year-old, Xavion Jackson, died at the scene and a 15-year-old, Azareaon S. Cole died after arriving at a hospital for treatment. Five were treated for injuries at area hospitals. Of the survivors, three were adults and two were teens. Seven were detained for questioning and multiple guns were recovered, officials said. "I don't know how many times I have to say it," Bailey said. "We are not your children's keepers. You are." July 5, 3 a.m.: Police were called to a person shot in the 300 block of Peach Tree Lane. Officers who arrived at the scene found two people in stable condition. July 5, 6:20 a.m.: A person receiving treatment at Eskenazi Hospital was reported to be in stable condition. Police have not released information about the location of the shooting. July 5, 3 p.m.: IMPD was dispatched to the 1300 block of Fall Creek Parkway East Drive on the report of a person shot. Officers found Dontae Anthony Lewis, 29, dead from a gunshot wound. Initially, the wound was thought to be self-inflicted, but that possibility was ruled out after further investigation. July 5, 6 p.m.: Police were called to assist a person shot in the 4000 block of East Michigan Street. The person they found was found in critical condition. July 6, 12:30 a.m.: IMPD was dispatched to a call of a person shot in the 3800 block of East New York Street. Officers found a person shot in critical condition. July 6, 12:50 a.m.: IMPD North District officers were called to the 1800 block of Roosevelt Avenue to assist with a person shot. Officers found two men shot on the front porch at that address. Jalen Stephen Williams, 30, was declared dead at the scene, and the other man was taken to a hospital in stable condition. July 6: Officers responded to IU Health Hospital after a patient with a gunshot wound was treated at the hospital. They were reported to be awake and breathing. July 6, 3:30 a.m.: Police were called to a person shot in the 8300 block of Southern Springs Drive. The person was in stable condition, an IMPD spokesperson said. July 6, 5 a.m.: IMPD reported to Eskenazi Hospital after two patients arrived with gunshot wounds. Both were awake and breathing. Police believe the shooting took place in the 2500 block of Producers Lane, on the city's east side. July 6, 7 p.m.: Police were called to the 2000 block of Olivewood Drive after a person was shot. Officers found a person in stable condition, and a person was detained. July 6, 8:15 p.m.: Officers were called to the 8000 block of East 36th Street on a report of a person shot. They were reported to be awake and breathing. July 6, 11:15 p.m.: Police believe two people who arrived at Eskenazi Hospital with gunshot wounds were injured during a robbery in the 1000 block of King Avenue. Both were reported to be in stable condition. July 7, 12:30 a.m.: Shortly after midnight, police were called to the scene of a person shot in the 2900 block of North Park Avenue. They were reported to be in stable condition. July 7: Police responded to two people who arrived at Methodist Hospital with gunshot wounds. Both were in stable condition. It's unclear where the shooting took place. Two additional shootings that took place over the weekend are believed to be self-inflicted, an IMPD spokesperson said. One of those shootings was fatal.
Indianapolis Star
01-07-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Woman tied to 'animal crushing' back in jail after being found with dogs in Fountain Square
Warning: This story contains graphic details about animal torture and abuse. A woman who spent time in prison for extreme animal cruelty was arrested in Indianapolis on June 27 after prosecutors say she violated the terms of her supervised release. Krystal Cherika Scott, 24, was sentenced to 30 months' incarceration in 2021 as part of a plea deal after posting online videos of herself hanging and skinning cats and dogs. She was then transferred to five years of supervised release. Though the court ordered that Scott have no further contact with animals through 2028, she and two others were cited for animal neglect on June 21 after authorities found a dozen animals living in squalor in their rented U-Haul van. None of the animals had access to food or water and were "forced to stand" in a pile of feces, according to the animal control officer's report. The inside of the van smelled "like a deceased animal," the officer wrote, though all were alive. Animal control took the animals. Authorities couldn't figure out who owned each animal, so all three were cited. Each citation carries a fine between $25 and $200. No criminal charges were filed, sparking outrage and disbelief from animal advocates throughout Indianapolis. More: Woman on federal probation for 'animal crushing' found with dogs, cats in Fountain Square Documents recently filed in Scott's federal case don't specify how she allegedly violated the terms of her release, but the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said before her June 27 arrest that her parole officer was aware of the animal care citation. A warrant for her arrest was issued by a federal judge on June 25, online court records show. Scott was the first person charged under a 2019 law that grants the federal government jurisdiction over extreme animal torture cases, according to a sentencing memorandum filed in her case. The FBI began investigating her in June 2020 after she posted a kitten torture video on Instagram. Federal agents raided the property and arrested Scott in July 2020. The FBI recovered "animal parts and skulls that were consistent with the size of cats and dogs," according to court documents. "(Scott) claims that her 'good side' loves cats and dogs, but that her 'bad side' tells her to commit acts of animal cruelty, including killing animals by strangulation and other means," an FBI agent wrote. In a custodial interview, Scott admitted to killing a kitten on video and uploading to Instagram. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of animal crushing, which refers to intentionally torturing live animals, often on video. Scott was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison on Nov. 10, 2021. She was released on June 29, 2023, according to the Bureau of Prisons' database. Her release was followed by five years of supervised release, which banned "non-incidental" contact with animals. The terms of her probation were modified twice after her initial sentencing, but the changes are not available to the public. A revocation hearing is scheduled for July 29.
Indianapolis Star
01-07-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Woman tied to 'animal crushing' back in jail after being found with dogs in Fountain Square
Warning: This story contains graphic details about animal torture and abuse. A woman who spent time in prison for extreme animal cruelty was arrested in Indianapolis on June 27 after prosecutors say she violated the terms of her supervised release. Krystal Cherika Scott, 24, was sentenced to 30 months' incarceration in 2021 as part of a plea deal after posting online videos of herself hanging and skinning cats and dogs. She was then transferred to five years of supervised release. Though the court ordered that Scott have no further contact with animals through 2028, she and two others were cited for animal neglect on June 21 after authorities found a dozen animals living in squalor in their rented U-Haul van. None of the animals had access to food or water and were "forced to stand" in a pile of feces, according to the animal control officer's report. The inside of the van smelled "like a deceased animal," the officer wrote, though all were alive. Animal control took the animals. Authorities couldn't figure out who owned each animal, so all three were cited. Each citation carries a fine between $25 and $200. No criminal charges were filed, sparking outrage and disbelief from animal advocates throughout Indianapolis. More: Woman on federal probation for 'animal crushing' found with dogs, cats in Fountain Square Documents recently filed in Scott's federal case don't specify how she allegedly violated the terms of her release, but the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said before her June 27 arrest that her parole officer was aware of the animal care citation. A warrant for her arrest was issued by a federal judge on June 25, online court records show. Scott was the first person charged under a 2019 law that grants the federal government jurisdiction over extreme animal torture cases, according to a sentencing memorandum filed in her case. The FBI began investigating her in June 2020 after she posted a kitten torture video on Instagram. Federal agents raided the property and arrested Scott in July 2020. The FBI recovered "animal parts and skulls that were consistent with the size of cats and dogs," according to court documents. "(Scott) claims that her 'good side' loves cats and dogs, but that her 'bad side' tells her to commit acts of animal cruelty, including killing animals by strangulation and other means," an FBI agent wrote. In a custodial interview, Scott admitted to killing a kitten on video and uploading to Instagram. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of animal crushing, which refers to intentionally torturing live animals, often on video. Scott was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison on Nov. 10, 2021. She was released on June 29, 2023, according to the Bureau of Prisons' database. Her release was followed by five years of supervised release, which banned "non-incidental" contact with animals. The terms of her probation were modified twice after her initial sentencing, but the changes are not available to the public. A revocation hearing is scheduled for July 29.
