On a Monday evening in March 2020, an argument inside a car in South Bend, Indiana, turned deadly, leading to the death of 24-year-old Elijah Damelle Hereford. The young Black male was a passenger in a vehicle near the intersection of Kentucky Street and Western Avenue when the dispute escalated. Just before 8 p.m., Hereford asked the female driver to pull over so he could get out and walk the rest of the way.
As the car came to a stop, another passenger, seated behind Hereford, fired a gun, striking him.
After the shooter fled the scene on foot, the driver and another passenger rushed Hereford to a nearby hospital. Despite their efforts, he succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Tuesday, March 17, 2020. South Bend police detectives worked through the night, quickly identifying a suspect from witness statements and surveillance footage. Their investigation led them to an apartment in the neighboring city of Elkhart, where an arrest was made.
The suspect was identified as Malik Kiwan Barnes, who was also 24 years old at the time. He was taken into custody and booked into the St. Joseph County Jail on a preliminary charge of murder, along with a firearm sentencing enhancement. The driver of the car reportedly told investigators that Barnes had a romantic interest in her and was jealous of her friendship with Hereford, which had led to the argument in the car just before the fatal shots were fired.
During questioning, Barnes allegedly admitted to shooting Hereford. He claimed that he believed Hereford might have been reaching for a weapon, prompting his actions. Following the investigation, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office formally charged Malik Barnes with one count of murder in connection with Elijah Hereford's death.
