Indy: Gang activity on the rise on the Northwest side

[Christina Marie]

Gang activity on the rise on the Northwest side

Kate Williams

February 8, 2006

Indianapolis — Police say brutal beatings and robbery are a pre-requisite to membership in an Indianapolis gang that calls itself "the 71st Street Gang".

The latest incident involving that gang was last month outside a motel at 35th and Shadeland. A 17-year-old suspect is being charged as an adult for his actions that night. He faces seven felonies for the beatings and robbery of personal items from several other teens attending a party at the motel. "It was devastating. No one wants their child to have a gun pointed at them," says a mother of one of the victims. "He said ten young men came in there and expressed that it was Northside territory or turf and after that..the gunfire went off and kids ran they ran to take cover and hide." Her son got away, but she says her son's best friend was beaten unconscious and hospitalized for three days.

IPD's Gang Task Force has noticed a recent resurgence of gangs under the "northside" name..one of which is the 71st Street gang. Gang members the task force has been able to identify so far have been primarily Pike High School students.

http://fox59.trb.com/nwsidegangs,0,1125 ... xin-home-3