In the early morning hours of December 16, 2019, in Gary, Indiana, four-year-old Toryon Dukes was asleep in his bed when gunfire erupted from outside his home. Multiple shots were fired into the residence around 1:10 a.m., with one of the bullets striking the young boy in the chest. He was rushed to Methodist Northlake Hospital, where he tragically died from his injuries.
Toryon's mother, who was sleeping beside him, was also wounded in the attack, sustaining injuries to her arm and a graze wound to her face. She was three months pregnant at the time. Three other children in the home were unharmed.
The family had only recently moved to the housing development where the shooting occurred. The incident sent shockwaves through the community, prompting public pleas from the mayor and police for any information that could lead to the perpetrators. Investigators explored various angles, including the possibility that the family was specifically targeted. This consideration arose from the fact that Toryon's father had been shot and killed in Chicago just two months before the fatal shooting of his son.
In the wake of the tragedy, the community offered support to the grieving family, and an online fundraiser was established to help with funeral costs. The boyfriend of Toryon's mother was reported to be cooperating with the police investigation. However, despite the efforts of law enforcement and public appeals for assistance, no suspects were publicly identified in connection with the shooting. The Gary Police Department has continued to seek information from the public, but the case of who killed Toryon Dukes remains unresolved, and no arrests have been made.
