Juveniles’ fight in church parking lot leaves 1 in hospital, 2 in custody

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A juvenile was stable at an Indianapolis hospital and two other juveniles were in custody after a shooting Monday night outside a church on the city’s northwest side, police say.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was called just after 8:55 p.m. Monday to a fight involving juveniles at Northwestway Park, 5251 W. 62nd St. That’s between Moller and Georgetown roads.

IMPD Lt. Larry Stargel says officers arrived to find the injured juvenile nearby in the parking lot of Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, 5111 W. 62nd St. The juvenile, who was not named, was taken to Ascension St. Vincent Hospital Indianapolis.

The two suspected juveniles, who also were not named, fled in a vehicle before police arrived, Stargel says. The suspects and their vehicle were found at the Penn Station East Coast Subs and McDonald’s restaurants at 57th Street and Georgetown Road. IMPD officers also found a gun at the McDonald’s.

Stargel said about the incident at the church parking lot, “There was a gathering for the juveniles over here, just congregating together, and one thing led to another, which involved guns, which is something we don’t understand why juveniles were over here with guns causing this kind of violence that we’re trying to tamp down on.”

He says, however, another gun is now off the streets.