Alijah Adams, a 22-year-old Black man from Bourbonnais, Illinois, died from multiple gunshot wounds in the early morning of June 1, 2024. The Lake County Coroner’s Office ruled his death a homicide. The shooting occurred inside a Hammond, Indiana, apartment where Adams had gone with his girlfriend, Marysa Rodriguez.
According to court documents and police, the incident began around 2:30 a.m. when a group arrived at an apartment in the 600 block of 169th Street.
A male resident, who was home with his girlfriend, answered a knock at the door. After he refused to let Rodriguez inside, Adams, who was armed, allegedly forced the door open. Police stated that Adams pistol-whipped the resident, hit him in the face with the weapon, took his cell phone, and demanded money. As a fight broke out between Rodriguez and the resident’s girlfriend, Adams reportedly stomped on the woman. The resident told authorities that, fearing for their safety, he pulled out his own gun and shot Adams multiple times. The resident's girlfriend was also struck by gunfire and sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The investigation that followed led to different outcomes for those involved. The man who shot Adams was not charged, with the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office deeming the act was in self-defense. Adams’s family publicly disputed the official narrative of the events and advocated for the shooter to face charges. They provided an autopsy report indicating Adams was shot in the head, twice in the back, once in the groin, and once in the thigh.
In October 2024, authorities charged Marysa Rodriguez, then 22, with murder. Under Indiana law, an accomplice can be charged with murder if a death occurs during the commission of a crime. Prosecutors alleged that Rodriguez was there to fight a woman inside the apartment while Adams intended to rob the male resident. Rodriguez initially pleaded not guilty.
On July 7, 2025, Marysa Rodriguez pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of burglary. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped the murder charge against her. In August 2025, a judge sentenced Rodriguez to 10 years in prison for her role in the incident. During the sentencing, the judge remarked on the tragedy of the situation, noting that had Adams survived, he likely would have faced charges as well.
