In the winter of 2023, a life was tragically cut short in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Keelin Woods, a 26-year-old Black man from Chicago, was fatally shot on the afternoon of Saturday, December 9th. The incident unfolded at the Red Roof Inn located on West Coliseum Boulevard, a place that would become the final scene of Woods' life. When police officers arrived, they found him suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
Despite immediate life-saving efforts, Woods succumbed to his injuries and was later pronounced deceased.
The Allen County Coroner's Office subsequently conducted an autopsy and determined that the cause of Keelin Woods' death was multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. His death was officially ruled a homicide, marking the 28th such case in Allen County for that year. The investigation into the shooting was a collaborative effort involving the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Allen County Prosecutor's Office, and the Allen County Coroner's Office, all working to piece together the events that led to this violent act.
The investigation quickly led to the identification of a suspect. Homicide detectives pinpointed 21-year-old Tommy L. Gray as the individual allegedly responsible for the shooting. A warrant for his arrest was issued on charges of Murder, Attempted Murder, and Leaving the Scene. The pursuit of Gray crossed state lines, culminating in his apprehension in Louisville, Kentucky, by U.S. Marshals. He was taken into custody without incident and is being held in Louisville pending his extradition back to Indiana to face the charges brought against him.
