In the early morning hours of March 2, 2026, a residential neighborhood on the south side of Elkhart, Indiana, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Shortly before 8 a.m., officers from the Elkhart Police Department were dispatched to the 2600 block of Morton Avenue after the city's 911 communications center received a report of a shooting with injuries. Upon their arrival, they discovered a young man outside a residence suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
Despite the immediate life-saving efforts of the first responders, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim was identified as 19-year-old Marco Antonio Lopez Terrazas Jr. An autopsy later confirmed that the cause of his death was a gunshot, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. The Elkhart County Homicide Unit was activated to lead the investigation into the fatal shooting. Investigators initially stated that the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the public. A neighbor reported hearing a couple of gunshots, possibly up to four, and then a young lady screaming before police arrived.
Within a day of the shooting, an arrest was made in connection with the death of Marco Antonio Lopez Terrazas. The Elkhart County Homicide Unit took a 16-year-old male into custody. The suspect was identified as Emerson Rodriguez Oviedo of Elkhart. A judicial officer found probable cause for the arrest of Oviedo for murder, and he was ordered to be held without bond. His initial hearing was scheduled for Thursday, March 5, in Elkhart Circuit Court. The Elkhart County Prosecutor's Office announced it was reviewing the case and expected to make a decision on formal charges by the end of that week. Authorities have urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Elkhart County Homicide Unit.
