The City of Indianola has declared an emergency following a Sunday morning shooting that left three 19-year-old males dead and over a dozen people injured.
The shooting, which took place near the corner of Church Street and Second Street at around 12:50 a.m. on Sunday morning, was heavy on the board’s agenda during Monday night’s regular meeting.
Recent Gentry High School graduate Areon Butler was among the three who were killed.
IPD Chief Ronald Sampson said that his investigators are working along with multiple agencies and are currently following strong leads, although no suspects had been named and no arrests had been made by Monday night.
Meanwhile, Featherstone made it clear that he has had enough with gun violence within the city limits.
“We’re going to do as much as we can do, to the extent that the law will allow…I want the public to know that I mean business,” Mayor Ken Featherstone told a packed house at the city hall annex.
Following about 40 minutes of discussion and public comments, the board voted unanimously to declare the emergency and followed with a vote to limit gatherings, indoors and outdoors, to 75 people and established a general midnight curfew for the city.
The board plans to address a mandatory closing time for businesses at a later meeting.
If passed, the closing time may apply citywide, but it was clear Monday night that the target is Church Street, a corridor Featherstone said must shake its violent reputation and prepare for redevelopment.
Featherstone proposed on Monday a complete revitalization of the street, calling for more restaurants, novelty shops, coffee shops, open air markets, lofts and tourism markers.
“The Church Street corridor will be regentrified to make room for a new era of economic development,” he said. “The tragedy of our city should and will give way to new beginnings. We must start the smart growth process and turn tragedy into triumph.”
Many of those in attendance expressed concerns about crime in general and with Featherstone’s plans for the historic street.
Restaurant owner Ronnie Ward, who has seen the best and the worst times on Church Street, said that the area is being singled out, and instead of shutting it down, the city should be providing better police protection and lighting.
“The problem is under-resourced officers,” Ward said, later adding, “You keep Club Ebony safe when they’ve got a crowd. Why can’t you do the same on Church Street?”
Ward noted that Gentry High School’s Homecoming celebration, which usually draws thousands to the city, will be held in a few months, and he raised concerns over whether the city’s reaction to the weekend shooting will hurt economic activity then.
Ward 5 Alderman Marvin Elder made the motion to declare the emergency, which was seconded by Ward 1 Alderman Gary Fratesi. All voted in favor, with Ward 5 Alderman Sam Brock being absent.
