Christian Ogbomon was an 18-year-old from Hammond, Indiana, who was just two days away from his high school graduation. Friends and family remembered the young Black male as funny, kind, and outgoing, a helpful person with a big heart who enjoyed working on cars with his father.
In the early hours of May 29, 2023, his life was cut short inside an apartment in East Chicago, Indiana.
At approximately 12:17 a.m., police were dispatched to the 3700 block of Euclid Avenue for a report of a person shot. Officers arrived to find Christian Ogbomon on a second-story balcony with a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and the Lake County Coroner’s Office later ruled his death a homicide.
The investigation revealed that Christian had been visiting a young woman he had met on Instagram a month earlier. According to court documents, he climbed onto the balcony to enter her bedroom, and the two were inside for about two hours. The woman’s father, Robert Allison, then returned to the apartment. Allison told investigators he heard screaming from his daughter’s bedroom and tried to force his way in as his daughter told him "no." He said that upon entering, he saw Christian coming toward him and fired what he described as a “reaction” from about 10 feet away. After the shooting, Allison called 911.
Robert Allison was taken into custody at the scene. The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office initially charged him with voluntary manslaughter. However, as the investigation by the East Chicago Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division continued, the charge was subsequently upgraded to murder with a firearm enhancement.
In September 2026, Robert Allison stood trial for the killing of Christian Ogbomon. Prosecutors argued that Allison had "hastily" shot Christian once in the chest upon entering his daughter's bedroom. The defense contended that Allison acted in self-defense under Indiana's Castle Doctrine, believing Christian was an intruder.
After hearing the evidence, a Lake County jury found Robert Allison guilty of murder and the firearm enhancement. As of September 2026, Allison was awaiting sentencing, which was scheduled for October 7, 2026.
