INDIANAPOLIS — This week, detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department took multiple people into custody in three unrelated incidents involving guns.

While the various crimes aren’t connected, police say they do share a common message.

The first of the three violent crimes took place at the Motel 6 on Shadeland. That’s where police said a robbery involving three armed juvenile suspects turned into a shootout.

Standing outside the Motel 6 last month, a man found himself ambushed and robbed by three teens wearing ski masks.

Surveillance video reportedly shows the victim and suspects exchanging gunfire, leaving two of the would-be thieves hit in the arm and leg.

This week, police arrested the underage suspects and recovered five illegally possessed firearms.

Detectives said they were able to use information from the community and video surveillance to identify the suspects involved.  

This week, detectives conducted three search warrants, recovered five firearms, and made three arrests. Two 15-year-old males and a 16-year-old male were arrested for armed robbery, criminal recklessness, pointing a firearm, and dangerous possession of a firearm. 

“We had three juveniles involved in a robbery where two of them were shot and reportedly all three had guns,” said IMPD Lt. Shane Foley. “Why are juveniles possessing the guns and where are they getting the guns?”

On the other side of town this week, police claim two other 18-year-old suspects robbed another man Wednesday afternoon outside an apartment building on the west side in the 7600 block of Wyckford Court.

Court records claim video surveillance and witness assistance led to the arrests of Edward Brewington and Zyarous Ray for that robbery.

Police also recovered a handgun and a machine gun conversion device.

In a third incident this week, police arrested 37-year-old Aaron Gordy after multiple witnesses told police he fired five shots into a door of a home on Boulevard that injured his own 60-year-old father.

The three cases each serve as a reminder that police can’t solve crimes on their own.

“It is a daily fight,” Foley said. “Our officers work every day to identify people possessing illegal firearms to commit crimes, but we can’t do it alone. We need community cooperation.”

The 16-year-old suspect involved in the shooting at the motel has been charged in adult court.  His name is Eric Tyson.

The other two suspects in that robbery remain in the juvenile system.

Formal charges have not been filed against Ray, Brewington or Gordy for the other two incidents.