On the morning of April 24, 2020, South Bend police officers responded to reports of gunfire near the intersection of LaSalle Avenue and Eddy Street around 12:12 a.m. Upon arrival, investigators located evidence that shots had been fired in the area but did not initially discover any victims at the scene. Shortly after the police response, authorities were notified that a gunshot victim had arrived independently at Memorial Hospital for emergency treatment.
The victim was identified as
25-year-old Deundre Lamar Hawkins, a male resident of the area. Despite medical intervention and surgery, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased a few hours after his arrival. A subsequent autopsy conducted by a forensic pathologist in Fort Wayne confirmed that he died from a gunshot wound, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Detectives with the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit took over the investigation, interviewing several witnesses who were present near the scene. As of the initial reports following the incident, law enforcement officials stated that no suspects had been identified and no arrests had been made in connection with the shooting. Authorities urged anyone with information regarding the case to contact local crime stoppers or the homicide unit.
