In the early hours of September 6, 2020, a young woman's life was cut tragically short in Mishawaka, Indiana. Dominique Nina Herron, a 24-year-old female from South Bend, was pronounced dead at the scene from at least one gunshot wound to her back. The events leading to her death began at Smith's Bar in Mishawaka, where Herron was with her cousin and a friend, Jeanette Williams.
According to reports, an altercation involving the group and other patrons erupted at the bar and spilled out
into the parking lot. During this confrontation, gunshots were fired by individuals unrelated to the initial dispute. In response, Jeanette Williams, who was reportedly heavily intoxicated, is said to have fired her own handgun. Following this, Herron, her cousin, and Williams left the area in a vehicle.
Sometime after leaving the bar, a call was made to the St. Joseph County Dispatch Center at approximately 1:34 a.m., reporting a shooting victim in a vehicle at the intersection of Logan Street and Mishawaka Avenue. First responders arrived to find Dominique Herron inside the car with a gunshot wound. Despite the efforts of witnesses and medical personnel, she was declared dead at the scene.
The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit was activated to handle the investigation. During their investigation, officers located a handgun in the grass on the west side of Logan Street. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing Williams run to that area and heard her say she was 'going to jail for this' as she allegedly tossed the gun.
Jeanette Williams, a 24-year-old from South Bend, was taken into custody and subsequently charged in connection with Herron's death. The charges filed against her by the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office included reckless homicide, a Level 5 felony; criminal recklessness, a Level 6 felony; and a felony firearm sentencing enhancement. Williams provided conflicting accounts of the events to investigators, at one point claiming Herron had been shot as they were leaving the bar and at another stating her gun had accidentally discharged from the vehicle window. She denied firing the weapon inside the vehicle or intentionally disposing of it. Williams was arrested and held in the St. Joseph County Jail pending her court appearance.
