A mass shooting in downtown Indianapolis in the early morning hours of July 5, 2025, left 15-year-old Azareaon S. Cole dead. The attack also killed 16-year-old Xavion Jackson and wounded five others, amid chaotic scenes following Fourth of July celebrations.

Police had been responding to multiple disturbances involving large, unsupervised gatherings of young people in the downtown area when gunfire broke out. Officers found several victims with gunshot wounds; Azareaon Cole was critically injured, taken to a nearby hospital, and later died from his wounds.

Four teenagers, ages 13, 15, 16, and 17, were arrested in connection with the incident. The 17-year-old, Vincent Lanking Jr., is being charged as an adult due to prior convictions. Charges reported so far focus on dangerous possession of a firearm, resisting law enforcement, and, in Lanking’s case, obstruction of justice. Ballistics tests and surveillance footage are being reviewed to determine who fired the fatal shots and whether additional charges will be filed.

Did anyone witness the gatherings downtown that night or have surveillance footage that could help investigators?