INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (AP) — This year’s Fourth of July holiday saw numerous shootings across the United States, including one in Indianapolis that resulted in at least two fatalities, prompting a police chief to express his public frustration over the recent acts of violence in his city.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Chris Bailey addressed reporters early Saturday morning, stating that the chaos was “completely unacceptable and unnecessary” and urged parents and guardians to exercise better control over their children.
“Hundreds of unsupervised kids down here,” he commented while in the city’s downtown area. “I don’t know how many times I have to say it: We are not your children’s keepers. You are! And parents and guardians have got to step up. A kid is dead tonight.”
Mass shootings were reported in other cities, including Philadelphia and Chicago and Brockton, Mass., where six people were hospitalized following an early morning fight on Saturday.
Violence and shootings often surge in the summer months, especially around the Fourth of July, historically one of the deadliest days of the year in the U.S.
The shooting in Chicago, which left seven people in serious or critical condition came on the heels of another mass shooting that happened late Wednesday in a busy neighborhood known for its restaurants and nightlife. Four people were killed and 14 others injured.
In the New York City borough of Queens, police said one person was dead and three injured following a post-fireworks triple stabbing.
Meanwhile, a Wareham, Mass. man is dead after being hit by a firework. Police said they found 70 year-old Robert Spagnuolo with a “facial injury.” He was pronounced dead at the scene.
