WABASH VALLEY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — In the Wabash Valley, multiple shooting incidents took place last week in three different counties.
Indiana State Police say gun violence is now the number one cause of death for kids under the age of 18 in the United States.
State Police records show that Indiana ranks 13th in the country in homicides involving guns.
In 2023, there were 436 homicides due to gun violence.
Sgt. Matt Ames of the Indiana State Police Department said, with the recent incidents, they want to remind everyone of gun safety and the choices you have if you believe you, or others, are in danger.
“The state of Indiana has what is called the Jake Laird Law or the Red Flag law”, Ames said. “This means if you know someone that does not need to be in possession of a firearm and they are going to do harm to themselves or harm to others, law enforcement can be called in and we will take those weapons away from them, so they aren’t causing harm. Now they do have an opportunity to go to a hearing in front of a judge and during that time they will have 14 days to present their case. At that time, a judge will make the decision on whether or not those firearms are returned to those individuals or whether or not law enforcement will keep a hold of them.”
Sgt. Ames also said that any person who owns a gun should have a lock on the trigger, and it should be locked away in a safe when not in use.
