"Your life is worth more than a moment of anger." IMPD responds after weekend gun violence leaves 15 victims

Early morning on the last day of summer, a mass shooting on Indianapolis' northwest side left two dead and five injured. It was one of four incidents that resulted in at least 15 gun violence victims this weekend.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Chris Bailey announced five arrests Monday morning, and called the 15 known shootings "absolutely senseless."

"Guns are not the solution to anything," Bailey said. "When someone chooses to bring a firearm into a conflict, that decision carries consequences, often tragic ones."

The mass shooting occurred on the 6800 block of Shore Terrace, outside a nightclub. Bailey said the motive is unclear and witnesses said one man grabbed a handgun from another man's waist and began shooting, hitting "five innocent bystanders."

Witnesses reported the owner of that gun pulled another weapon and shot the shooter. As that was happening, accounts suggest a third, unidentified man may have shot the second shooter and fled the scene. The two confirmed shooters, Rodney Allen Taylor, 38, and Dante Lynn Hogans, 29, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two others are suspected to have been injured in that shooting, taking themselves to a nearby hospital and a fire station.

In another weekend incident, two 14-year-olds were shot and showed up at a hospital with two 16-year-olds. The older teens then ran from hospital police. After a short chase police arrested them for possessing firearms.

On the 3300 block of Ruckle IMPD reports a man was shot during a break in, in what appears to be a self-defense shooting. And on the 5600 block of Georgetown Rd. three people were shot at a car meetup.

Bailey told reporters all types of crime rates are "trending down" in Indianapolis this year.

Shootings trend up in the summer. This July started with two teens killed in an early morning mass shooting, after a fireworks show on July 5.

On August 1 IMPD reported 93 homicides in Indianapolis in 2025. The city had just over 200 homicides in 2024.

Bailey said IMPD continues to target "the most violent people in our community — people, places and behaviors driving violent crime."

He also said IMPD continues to work with community-based solutions that address the root causes of violence, including recipients of Elevation Grants, which received $5 million in the last round of funding.

Bailey asked the community to walk away from conflict.

"Your life is worth more than a moment of anger. Your neighbor's life is worth more than that," Bailey said. "Please walk away instead of doing something that will change your life forever."

IMPD asks the community to report conflict before violence happens. People can leave tips anonymously with Crime Stoppers by calling 317-262-TIPS (8477).