Ryan Hawkins, a 35-year-old White man, was remembered by his family as a "beautiful soul" and a light in their lives. A graduate of the Indiana School for the Deaf and Gallaudet University, Hawkins was an active alumnus who, his brother said, connected with everyone he met. On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 1, 2024, Hawkins was driving his Hyundai Elantra northbound on Interstate 65 in Indianapolis when an encounter with a Ford Explorer escalated into a fatal road rage incident.
Witnesses saw the Explorer pull alongside Hawkins' car before someone inside extended an arm and fired a handgun.
Struck by a gunshot to the neck, Hawkins lost control of his vehicle. The car veered off the highway, struck a pond, and ejected him onto the grass. First responders found him unresponsive and pronounced him dead at the scene. The investigation moved quickly, aided by witness statements and highway surveillance cameras that helped detectives identify the suspect's Ford Explorer within hours. Investigators noted bullet holes in the side of Hawkins' submerged car.
Within days, Indiana State Police arrested 24-year-old Andre Briski and his girlfriend, 23-year-old Shawna Rowland. During a police interview, Briski confessed, stating, “I did it. I didn’t mean to. I was afraid that we were going to crash and die.” He claimed that Hawkins had been “brake-checking” him. However, passengers in the Explorer told police that Hawkins had made hand gestures as he passed them and that Rowland had encouraged Briski to speed up and follow Hawkins’ car. One passenger tried to dissuade Briski from pursuing Hawkins but was ignored.
After the shooting, Briski was seen on surveillance video at a gas station before he abandoned the Explorer and fled on foot. Briski was later charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, while Rowland was charged with assisting a criminal and obstruction of justice. Under a plea agreement, Andre Briski pleaded guilty to the murder of Ryan Hawkins. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison. As of his sentencing in May 2024, the charges against Shawna Rowland remained pending.
