Seven minors between the ages of 12 and 17 were injured in a shooting outside a shopping mall in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday night, police said.
Officers patrolling the area heard shots fired near the Circle Centre Mall shortly after 11 p.m., a spokesperson for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department told Newsweek via email.
They arrived to find "a large group of juveniles" at the scene, including six who had gunshot wounds.
"Officers rendered aid to the victims," the police spokesperson said. "Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services (IEMS) arrived and transported all six juveniles to area hospitals."
A seventh victim with a gunshot wound arrived separately at a hospital.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Tanya Terry told reporters at a news briefing early Sunday that all the victims were in stable condition.
Investigators believe more than one gun was used in the shooting, Terry said.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains active and ongoing.
"It is extremely concerning to us that so many of our young people have been victims of gun violence this evening," Terry said.
"Once again, we have a situation in which young people are resolving conflict with firearms, and it has to stop."
She added: "Conflict should not lead to somebody pulling out a gun and trying to resolve it. The consequences are eternal."
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Detective Albert Teaters at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317 327 3475 or e-mail him at Albert.Teaters@indy.gov.
Alternatively, they can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317 262 477 or TIPS to remain anonymous.
The shooting on Easter Saturday comes as the U.S. continues to be plagued by its gun violence problem.
Almost 4,000 people have lost their lives in homicidal or unintentional shootings as of Sunday, while almost 7,000 have been injured, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA).
And there have been 88 mass shootings across the country so far this year, the GVA says. The project defines a mass shooting as an incident where four or more people are shot or killed.
President Joe Biden has called gun violence "the ultimate superstorm ripping through communities," saying that the response should be more like how the federal government responds to natural disasters.
Last month, he repeated his calls for Congress to enact stricter gun laws after a woman was killed and others were injured in a mass shooting during a parade to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl win.
Update 3/31/2024, 8:50 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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