US news: 7 shot in Indianapolis; police chief slams parents, says not your children's keeper

In a shocking incident, one person was killed and six others were wounded in a mass shooting in the US city of Indianapolis on Saturday. The incident took place a day after the United States celebrated the nation's Independence Day.

Deputy police operations chief Tanya Terry told a news conference on Saturday that the shooting took place at 1.27 am (0527 GMT). The police are investigating the crime.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime, whereas five people were rushed to the hospital for treatment. One person walked into a hospital.

Three of the victims, including the deceased, are juveniles, said the police officer. She didn't reveal the ages and conditions of the other victims.

The investigators have recovered firearms from the scene and have detained seven people for questioning.

Indianapolis police chief Chris Bailey condemned recurring violence in the city's downtown area, particularly involving youngsters.

He told reporters: “A kid is dead tonight. It is unacceptable.”

He claimed the police arrested 20 people throughout the night and recovered guns from minors.

He said they also found an assault rifle stuffed in the front of a minor.

He slammed parents for allowing "hundreds of unsupervised kids" to roam the area at night.

"We are not your children's keeper. You are. Parents and guardians have got to step up," he added.

He said thousands of people had turned up downtown for fireworks and left peacefully, but others stayed and "caused trouble."

Gun violence has become common across the United States because of lax gun laws. Many states have few barriers to the purchasing of firearms, despite widespread support for greater gun control.

This year, there have been 189 mass shootings in the country, according to the Gun Violence Archive. It characterizes mass shootings as incidents in which four or more people are shot.