By Abdul-Hakim Shabazz

I hate to say it, but downtown merchants who’ve had to sweep up the shell casings, dodge the chaos, and beg for help — they told you so. Over and over again. And city leadership? They shrugged, smiled for the cameras, and kept acting like everything was just fine.

Last night, while families were still riding the high of fireworks and food truck funnel cakes, downtown Indianapolis lit up again — not with celebration, but with gunfire. At least two people are dead, including a child. Several others shot. Seven guns recovered. Seven people detained. A bloodbath. Again.

And don’t act like this came out of nowhere. This was the second mass shooting downtown in just weeks and the third recent shooting involving teenagers with firearms. We’re not trending — we’re unraveling.

Downtown Indy has become a late-night playground for lawlessness. Unsupervised teens roam like it’s open season, and by the time the clock strikes midnight, Georgia Street turns into “The Purge: Circle Centre Edition.” And yet we pretend like it’s a mystery why families, conventions, and businesses are quietly fleeing out the back door.

Let me be real: a child is dead — a child who shouldn’t have even been out there. That’s not just a tragedy. That’s a flashing neon sign that says “Leadership has left the building.”

We’ve had a curfew on the books for years. It’s not a secret. If you’re under 15, you’re supposed to be home by 11. If you’re 15 to 17, you’re done at midnight. It’s basic stuff. But enforcement? Apparently that’s too harsh, too political, or too much trouble for the folks running this town.

When I ran for mayor in 2023, I warned you this was coming. I said crime wasn’t contained anymore — it was creeping, spreading, and accelerating. I said downtown was one bad weekend away from becoming a national headline. Well… last night was that headline.

Now the excuse-makers are already warming up: “If we enforce curfew, it’ll disproportionately affect Black teens.” Yeah. Probably. Because that’s who’s downtown at 1:30 a.m., getting shot or doing the shooting.

So here’s my follow-up: Where are the Black adults who are supposed to be raising these kids? You want equity? Start by making sure your children aren’t wandering city streets armed to the teeth in the middle of the damn night.

I’m not interested in locking kids up. I’m interested in keeping them alive. Curfew isn’t punishment — it’s protection. A 14-year-old with a loaded weapon after midnight doesn’t need a lecture on systemic oppression — he needs a guardian, a curfew, and some damn accountability.

And let me be clear: I’m a “weed and seed” guy. I believe in planting seeds — mentoring, prevention, second chances, economic opportunity. But the weeds? The weeds are out of control. If we don’t start pulling them up, they’re going to choke out everything worth saving.

But hey, why stop at just crime? This city is drowning in scandal and dysfunction. We’ve got a looming budget shortfall, a sexual harassment scandal that’s touched the mayor’s office and the City-County Council, and a chief of staff who got bounced. Everyone’s lawyering up while pretending it’s business as usual.

Meanwhile, the Marion County Democratic Party has turned into Thunderdome. White progressives versus Black old guard. Boomers versus Gen Z. Gender wars, racial division, generational mutiny — it’s all happening. Just not the part where someone actually runs the city.

This is what happens when your leaders care more about vibes than values. More about managing Twitter outrage than managing public safety. More about looking progressive than being effective.

Oh, what a time to be a political writer in the city of Indianapolis. If I weren’t so angry, I’d pour a drink and enjoy the show.

But it’s not a show. A kid is dead. Again. And the streets of this city are soaked with policy failure and political cowardice.

We have the laws. We just don’t use them. We have leaders. They just don’t lead. We have kids. And we’re losing them.

So here’s the deal: enforce the curfew. Drag the parents in if you have to. Every kid downtown past curfew gets picked up, no exceptions. You ask one question: “Where’s your adult?” And if nobody knows, then maybe — just maybe — the city needs to step in and be the adult.

Mayor Hogsett. Council President Osili. And every other official collecting a paycheck to manage this city: do your damn jobs. Or get out of the way before another kid ends up in a body bag.

Because I don’t want to write this column again. And I sure as hell don’t want to explain to the next grieving family that Indy had all the warning signs — and chose to ignore them.

Abdul-Hakim Shabazz is the editor and publisher of Indy Politics.  He is also an attorney licensed in Indiana and Illinois.