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People living near Ritter Avenue and East 21st Street concerned about recent violence

Recent shootings have left a teenager dead and others wounded.

INDIANAPOLIS — A shooting early Monday morning at East 23rd Street and Ritter Avenue left a teenager in critical condition. IMPD said Monday afternoon that the 19-year-old died from his injuries.

People living in the area have been concerned about recent violence. Last Thursday, another shooting around 21st Street and Ritter Avenue at Greenway at Indy Town Apartments left a man in critical condition.

"I don't recognize my neighborhood anymore," said Gwendolynn Taylor, who has lived in the area for over a decade. "The neighborhood started changing a couple years back to a point that we don't recognize the neighborhood anymore. Our main job now is teaching our kids how to make it home under all circumstances."

Monday morning, the violence once again came too close to home.

"I didn't hear it because I'm desensitized to it," Taylor said. "There's constantly gunshots ringing out. I'm desensitized to it, it doesn't scare me anymore, it doesn't wake me up out of my sleep anymore."

The violence has made Taylor change how she spends time with her family.

"It's not a little scary, it's absolutely scary because bullets don't have eyes, they don't have names," she said. "I have a 9-year-old little sister that spends a lot of time here and my grandchildren that spend a lot of time here. At first they could play anywhere, and now we have a rule that they are no longer allowed to play in the front yard."

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