After police arrested a 14-year-old for his alleged connection to the recent murder of 23-year-old Brett Scrogham, Indianapolis Police Department Chief Tanya Terry called on parents to be more accountable and engaged with their children.
At a press conference after the announcement of the arrest, Terry said all parents in the city must step up.
"Every child deserves guidance, accountability and opportunities to succeed, and that all starts at home,” Terry said. “Parenting is not passive."
Terry said the city does hold some parents accountable for neglect. She referenced a parent arrested after a 9-year-old shot his 12-year-old brother, who did not die.
Scrogham’s death is the latest in a series of shooting deaths where juveniles were arrested. He was shot downtown May 28, where he had plans to meet his family for an Indianapolis Indians game. He later died at an area hospital.
The IMPD Violent Crimes Unit took the 14-year-old suspect into custody Wednesday, June 3. Detectives are working with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, which will make the final charging decisions.
The shootings are part of a larger debate over youth violence and safety in Indianapolis, in which Republican leaders are criticizing Indianapolis’ public safety strategies.
U.S. Senator Jim Banks, R-Ind., criticized Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears from the Senate floor earlier this week.
“If we keep making excuses for why we can’t enforce the law and keep violent criminals in prison, we will never have safe neighborhoods and communities — and innocent people like Brett [Scrogham] will continue to pay the price,” Banks said.
Asked about the arrest in Scrogham's case at an unrelated press conference Thursday, Gov. Mike Braun echoed that criticism.
“The jurisdiction there, the city of Indianapolis, especially the prosecutors, have to do something different. The state is going to be there, increasingly watching,” Braun said. “Law and order, in Indianapolis and some of our other areas that don’t seem to have it under control, have got to change.”
While overall gun violence has been trending down in Indianapolis over recent years, levels of gun violence involving children are inconsistent.
The Indianapolis Mayor’s office in March announced the expansion of its Youth Violence Reduction Initiative. It's modeled after the Gun Violence Reduction Strategy launched in 2022.
The Indianapolis City-County Council also imposed a curfew for children 17 and younger, with levels of restriction based on age.
Contact WFYI Morning Edition newscaster and reporter Barbara Anguiano at banguiano@wfyi.org
WFYI reporters Samantha Horton and Zach Bundy contributed to this story.
