INDIANAPOLIS– For the fourth year in a row, Indianapolis has seen more than 200 homicides.
IMPD responded to a double shooting Sunday night that pushed the city past the deadly milestone.
Just before 11 o’clock Sunday night, police were called to the intersection of 29th and MLK and found two people shot.
Police believe the shooting took place in this parking lot on the south side of 29th Street before the two victims drove across the street and were found in a car at a gas station on the north side of the street.
One victim was identified as Rosalba Torres. The 25-year-old, known as Rosa by her family, died on scene.
David Swanigan, 22, was taken to the hospital but later passed away.
“I’m upset. I’m frustrated about talking about the same thing that keeps happening over and over again,” said Reverend Charles Harrison with Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition.
Reverend Harrison’s church is just a few hundred yards from the scene of the crime.
Harrison is asking businesses in the area to increase security to try and prevent drug dealing and violence late at night.
He’s also troubled that for only the fourth time in the city’s history and the fourth year in a row, Indianapolis has seen more than 200 homicides.
“This is becoming the norm in this city which is frustrating to me,” said Harrison. “We’ve got to do a better job of everybody working together to reduce this nonsense and this madness that we’re seeing.”
To date, 201 homicides is lower compared to the same timeframe in 2020, 2021 and 2022, but still significantly higher than any year prior to the pandemic.
In 2019, there were 151 homicides on this date before the city ended the year with 172.
In 2020, there were 216 homicides on this date before ending at 245 for the year.
The record-breaking year of 2021 saw 244 homicides on this date and ended with 272 at the end of the year.
In 2022, there were 208 homicides on this date before ending the year with 226.
“We certainly would like the numbers to go down more, but we are seeing a trend going down for homicides overall and that’s something we hope to continue,” said IMPD Lt. Shane Foley.
Unfortunately, despite the downward trend, youth violence has actually gone up this year. That’s why police continue to urge to community to solve conflicts without gunfire.
“We need to do more as a community to protect our community members, particularly our youth, who are being injured in increasing numbers,” said Foley.
As for Sunday’s double homicide, police did not have any information on suspects or a motive for the killings.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact Detective Christopher Winter at the IMPD Homicide Office at (317) 327-3475 or e-mail him at Christopher.Winter@indy.gov.
Alternatively, they can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477 or (TIPS) to remain anonymous.
Police also point out that out of 201 total homicides, 163 have been deemed criminal. That number is also lower compared to the same time last year when there were 194 criminal homicides at the same time.
