In Mishawaka, Indiana, on the afternoon of January 28, 2026, a 29-year-old man named Curtiss Walker lost his life in a tragic incident at his workplace. A former U.S. Marine and the general manager of a Discount Tire store, Walker was inside a closed office with two other individuals when the event unfolded. While handling a friend's semi-automatic handgun, the weapon discharged.
The single gunshot struck Walker in the head, and he died from the injury.
Mishawaka Police and Fire departments responded to the scene at the Grape Road business shortly after 5:00 p.m. At the time of the incident, there were other employees and customers in the store, but no one else was harmed. Investigators interviewed the two people who were in the office with Walker at the time of the shooting.
Following an investigation by the Mishawaka Police Department, it was determined that there was no evidence of foul play. The St. Joseph County Coroner's Office later officially ruled the death an accident. Authorities stated that it was unclear whether Walker or the gun's owner knew the handgun was loaded. No arrests were made in connection with the fatal shooting. Walker was a husband and a father to three young children.
