(WWJ/AP) A teenage boy stands accused of killing of five people, including a pregnant woman, found shot to death in what the Indianapolis mayor called a "devastating act of violence."
Police early Sunday morning first responded to a report of a person shot on city's near northeast side to find a 17-year-old boy suffering from gunshot wounds. As officers were investigating, police got more information that led them to a nearby home on Adams Street, where they found the bodies of multiple adults, who'd also been shot.
The victims have since been identified as Kezzie Childs, 42, Raymond Childs, 42, Elijah Childs, 18, Rita Childs, 13, and Kiara Hawkins, 19, and the unborn child of Hawkins, according to the Marion County Coroner's Office. Hawkins was first rushed to a local hospital, but neither she or the unborn child survived despite life-saving efforts, authorities said.
Mayor Joe Hogsett and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randall Taylor described the shooting as a "mass murder" during a press conference, according to WTTV.
"... What we saw this morning was a different kind of evil. What happened this morning, based on the evidence that's been gathered so far, was mass murder," Taylor said. "More than that, we believe it was not random."
As for the alleged juvenile killer now in custody, his name has not yet been released.
IMPD spokeswoman Aliya Wishner said Monday that the suspect is a 17-year-old boy who is not the teen who was found wounded.
In a statement announcing the arrest on Monday, Chief Taylor asked to community to pray for the recovery for the wounded 17-year-old, who remains in the hospital.
Police did not release details Sunday of the relationships between the shooting victims, and Wishner said Monday afternoon that information was not yet available because the case is currently under seal in a Marion County court.
While details of the relationship between the shooting victims have not been released. Hogsett referred to the victims as "the Childs family" in a statement thanking Indianapolis police for their quick arrest of a suspect.
"Today's announcement is the first step toward justice for the senseless acts that cut short the lives of six of our neighbors in the early hours of Sunday morning. While nothing can bring back the Childs family, I hope that the swift action of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department offers some comfort to all of those who have been left to grapple with this tragic loss," Hogsett said.
"My thanks go to the men and women of IMPD whose thoughtful investigative work led to the arrest of the suspect, and my prayers are with the family, friends, and community impacted by this devastating act of violence," he added.
Indianapolis City-County Council President Vop Osili said in a statement that he was "saddened and frustrated" by the violence impacting Indianapolis.
"This is a collective loss, and the violence is our collective problem," Osili added. "One thing we can and must do as a community is share what we know so we can find justice in this tragedy."
If convicted of murder in this case, the young killer could receive a maximum sentence of life without parole. Indiana law says those under 18-years-old cannot receive the death penalty.
