On the night of September 3, 2020, officers from the Gary Police Department were dispatched to a residence on the 2300 block of Colfax Street in Gary, Indiana, following reports of gunfire. Upon arrival around 11:25 p.m., first responders discovered 38-year-old Landen Cowart, a White male, suffering from gunshot wounds outside the home. Witnesses at the scene, described as screaming females, reported that a vehicle had opened fire on the residence.
Despite the efforts of emergency personnel, Cowart succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The house itself had been struck by multiple bullets, and police located shell casings near the corner of 23rd Avenue and Colfax Street, marking the area as a crime scene.
Cowart, known by the nickname "Black Oak," was a longtime resident of the area and a father of three daughters. His obituary noted his passion for fishing, bonfires, and Chicago sports teams, specifically the Bears and Cubs. Prior to his death, he had a history of involvement with the legal system, having served as a confidential informant in a federal drug investigation more than a decade earlier. In that previous case, he had testified against local drug distributors after being assaulted during a controlled buy, an event that led to federal convictions for the assailants.
Following the homicide investigation in 2020, authorities identified and charged two suspects in connection with Cowart's death. Mark A. Windsheimer II, a 28-year-old man from Gary, and Christopher J. Dukes II, a 17-year-old from Merrillville, were accused of the killing. Legal proceedings commenced shortly after their identification, with reports indicating that a court subsequently granted bond for the two defendants as the case moved through the justice system. The shooting was initially characterized by police as an isolated incident rather than a random act of violence.
