On a Saturday morning in Merrillville, Indiana, the community was shaken by a tragic event that unfolded at a local gas station. On February 15, 2025, at approximately 9:43 AM, Merrillville Police responded to a call of shots fired in the 700 block of E Lincoln Highway. Inside the establishment, officers discovered the bodies of two individuals who had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. One of the victims was identified as Amanda B. Dusek, a 42-year-old Caucasian woman from Worth, Illinois.
Her death was ruled a homicide. The second deceased individual was 45-year-old Douglas J. Venable of Lake Station.
Further investigation by Merrillville Police Detectives revealed the incident to be a murder-suicide stemming from a domestic dispute. It was determined that Venable shot and killed Dusek before turning the gun on himself. Authorities confirmed that the two were known to each other and that it was an isolated incident, with no ongoing threat to the public.
Amanda Dusek was remembered as a beloved daughter, mother, sister, and aunt. She left behind a young son. Friends and family gathered to honor her memory at a visitation held on February 21, 2025, in Tinley Park, Illinois. The Merrillville Police Department expressed their condolences to the families affected by the tragedy. A GoFundMe campaign was established to support her son and to help with funeral expenses.
