INDIANAPOLIS — While the summer weather brought a lot of people out to the downtown area, it also brought a fair share of violence.
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Two separate shootings and a reckless driver hitting both an IMPD officer and a security guard with his car. All of that happened in the downtown area over the weekend, sparking concerns for some residents.
“It just makes me a little more nervous," Shayna Williams said.
“I’ve heard that people have had issues," Jack Rewick added.
For law enforcement, it puts them on alert.
“Any level of violence, any level of reckless, dangerous behavior is unacceptable. It’s especially unacceptable in downtown Indianapolis," Shane Foley, IMPD Downtown District Commander, stated.
It started early Saturday morning when a man was shot following a disturbance at the intersection of E. Washington St. and N. Pennsylvania St. Police arrested a 29-year-old man who allegedly shot and critically injured another man. According to court documents, the shooting stemmed from a fight. The shooter is claiming self-defense after surveillance video shows two men attacking him before the shooting.
IMPD arrested the 29-year-old man on preliminary charges of robbery, criminal confinement and strangulation.
Later Saturday night, an IMPD officer and a security guard were injured after being struck by a car. Court documents said a man was arrested after allegedly speeding away from officers in the 200 block of South Meridian Street, near East Georgia Street.
After being detained, court documents state the suspect admitted to using cocaine before attending an event downtown. He did not believe he was drunk, but he allegedly said he thought he was over the legal limit.
The suspect was preliminarily charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident causing injury and resisting law enforcement.
Around 1 a.m. Monday morning, a woman was injured in a shooting near South Meridian and East Maryland streets, just south of Monument Circle. At that time, officers on scene were dealing with the disturbance when they heard a call for shots fired in the area. One officer then found a woman who had been shot. That incident allegedly occurred after a fight in a downtown bar.
In an update shortly after 11 a.m., IMPD said detectives arrested a 51-year-old woman on preliminary charges of aggravated battery, battery with a deadly weapon and criminal recklessness.
“We don’t want those incidents to occur," Foley said. "But if they do, we’re going to do everything we can to put those people in jail and work with the prosecutor's office to make sure they stay there.”
All three people involved in those incidents have now been arrested. Formal charges have not yet been filed.
“While it’s an unacceptable amount of incidents, they’re still isolated. And we had thousands of people who enjoyed downtown without anything going on," Foley explained.
The police patrols downtown on Monday were obvious. Foley said that they will continue to ensure everyone feels safe.
"We have police here. We're going to have more presence as we have more events," he exclaimed. "The vast majority of people who come downtown, they enjoy everything that downtown has to offer, and we encourage them to continue doing that."
While never good to hear, for some residents, it doesn't change their perspective on the area.
“It’s a bummer when you see things like what happened this weekend," Williams, who lives in Indianapolis, stated. "But I’m 37 years old. I’ve been coming down here since I was old enough to drink. I’ve never had any issues. I’ve never had any problems.”
“I think as long as you put yourself in a situation where you’re aware of your surroundings, you’ll be fine," Rewick, who lives downtown, said.
Numbers from IMPD show the number of incidents and victims of non-fatal and fatal shootings within the Mile Square area.
For non-fatal shootings:
- 2023: 11 incidents / 17 victims
- 2024: 30 incidents / 38 victims
- 2025: 25 incidents / 40 victims
For fatal shootings:
- 2023: 2 incidents / 2 victims
- 2024: 4 incidents / 4 victims
- 2025: 1 incident / 2 victims
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Casey Zanowic is the In Your Community reporter for North Side Indy. She joined WRTV in July of 2025. Casey has a passion for storytelling and is ready to showcase impactful stories that make a difference in her community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Casey by emailing her at casey.zanowic@wrtv.com.
