Patricia Wieber, a 65-year-old woman from Indianapolis, Indiana, was killed on the evening of May 28, 2026, after what police described as a targeted shooting on the city’s near east side. Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were called around 8:15 to 8:30 p.m. to the first block of North Rural Street, just north of East Washington Street, after reports that someone had been shot. When they arrived, they found Wieber suffering from gunshot wounds.
She was rushed to Methodist Hospital in very critical condition, but she was pronounced dead a short time later.
The shooting unfolded in front of or near a home on North Rural Street. According to accounts from police and court documents reported by local outlets, Wieber had been in a vehicle when the alleged shooter pulled up nearby in a white van. Investigators said the attack appeared to grow out of a family-related disturbance, and police said early in the investigation that Wieber was believed to have been specifically targeted rather than randomly shot. Crime scene details later reported from court filings said the vehicle window was rolled up and partially shattered by gunfire, and that Wieber was struck by gunfire, including a shot to the head.
The suspect was identified as 75-year-old Ronald Cross of Spencer, Indiana. Court documents and local reporting identified Cross as Wieber’s ex-husband, while family members described him as the biological father of Wieber’s oldest daughter. Family members said there had been a long and troubling history involving Cross, including allegations of abuse, stalking, and violence toward Wieber and relatives. One of Wieber’s daughters said the family had feared something like this could happen, describing him as someone who had stalked her mother for a long time.
After the shooting, officers gathered information about a suspect vehicle and tracked it to the southwest side of Indianapolis, including the area of Bullock Court near West Southport Road and Bluff Road. Police said two people left that area in a second vehicle. During an attempted traffic stop, the original driver was taken into custody, but Cross allegedly moved into the driver’s seat and fled. The pursuit continued across the city until police stopped the vehicle near South Harding Street and Interstate 70.
The chase ended in an officer-involved shooting. Police said Cross fired at officers after the vehicle was forced into a grassy area, and multiple officers returned fire. Cross was struck at least once and taken to a hospital in stable condition. No officers were injured. Police recovered a firearm at the scene, and court documents also reported that investigators found binoculars in the front seat of the white van believed to have been used earlier in connection with the shooting on North Rural Street.
Cross was arrested in connection with Wieber’s killing. He was reported to be facing charges including murder, resisting law enforcement, pointing a firearm, and unlawful carrying of a handgun, with additional charges tied to the broader series of events and alleged prior violence. Court documents reported that Cross told investigators Wieber had taken money from him and that he had gone to get it back. He allegedly claimed she was reaching into her purse when he shot her. Investigators, however, described evidence suggesting she was targeted, and the circumstances described in the filings pointed to a deliberate confrontation rather than a sudden, random act.
In the days after her death, Wieber’s family described her as warm, funny, loving, and central to the lives of her daughters and grandchildren. A fundraiser organized for funeral expenses said her family had been devastated by her murder and remembered her as someone whose smile could light up a room and who would do anything for others. Her death left relatives not only grieving but also calling for accountability, saying they wanted to make sure the man accused of killing her would not be able to hurt anyone else.
