Thirteen-year-old Andrea Eguia was remembered by her mother as a joyful girl who could light up any room she entered. Her family called her their "rainbow," a tall girl with a bright future as a talented basketball player. "She was my everything," her mother, Mollie Wingard, said. "Like I would be having a bad day, and Andrea would just make it better, make my day go so much better."
Andrea was a beloved daughter, niece, sister, and friend whose life was tragically cut short.
Less than a year before her death, Andrea’s family had moved to Indianapolis from Fort Wayne, seeking a safer environment and a better life for their children. "I moved here to save my son from the streets... I moved here to save a life, just for one of my children to get their life taken," her mother explained. The family was still new to the city and unfamiliar with many of its neighborhoods.
In the early morning hours of Saturday, October 24, 2026, the unimaginable happened. Sometime after her mother, who had just returned from work, went to sleep around 3 a.m., Andrea left her home. She ended up at the Georgetown Apartments in the 3600 block of Bunker Hill Drive, near 42nd Street and North Sherman Drive on the city's northeast side. Her family said it was an unfamiliar apartment complex that they did not even know existed until they received the devastating call. Her family believes she was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Shortly before 4 a.m., officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department responded to a report of a person shot at the apartment complex. When they arrived, they found Andrea suffering from gunshot wounds. She was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition but succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead. Her mother was awakened by a phone call and rushed to the scene, where her worst fears were confirmed. "I didn't know anything," Wingard said. "I just got the phone call, and I just came straight here."
The investigation into Andrea’s murder is being handled by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. In the days following the shooting, detectives had not released any information about a possible suspect or a motive for the crime. The family acknowledged that while the area had a history of police calls, they did not blame the neighborhood but rather "the monster" who pulled the trigger. They spoke out about the issue of youth gun violence, urging parents to be aware of their children's access to weapons.
In their grief, Andrea’s family vowed to keep her memory alive and fight for justice. Her aunt, Marina Bontempo, who lovingly called her "Pooders," said they would never stop saying her name. "Just because somebody took her from us doesn't mean we're gonna not live," Bontempo said. The family emphasized that Andrea was a good child from a loving home and did not deserve her fate. "Andrea wasn't none of that. She had a mother that worked hard. She had aunts. She has uncles. She has brothers and sisters," her aunt stated. Her mother added, "Yeah, keep saying forever 13, baby. I'm gonna keep your memory alive as long as I breathe."
As of late October 2026, no arrests have been made in the killing of Andrea Eguia, and the case remains unsolved. Police have not publicly identified any suspects or persons of interest.
