On November 2, 2017, Diego Serna, a 16-year-old male from Hammond, Indiana, tragically lost his life following a shooting incident in Gary, Indiana. The teenager, who was a student at the Hammond Academy of Science and Technology, had traveled to the 400 block of South Huntington Street. According to investigators, Serna and another individual were lured to the location under the pretense of a marijuana transaction.
Upon their arrival, they were ambushed by a masked assailant who opened fire on them. Serna sustained fatal gunshot wounds, while the second victim was seriously injured but survived the attack.
The investigation into the homicide initially faced significant hurdles and remained an open cold case for several years. Progress was further complicated by the involvement of a former Gary detective assigned to the case, whose subsequent legal troubles and imprisonment on unrelated federal charges contributed to delays in the proceedings. Despite these setbacks, authorities eventually identified multiple suspects alleged to have orchestrated the robbery and shooting.
In the years following the murder, prosecutors secured charges against three individuals. Augustus Joseph Johnson III was implicated in the crime and signed a plea agreement in 2021. In January 2023, charges of murder, attempted murder, and armed robbery were filed against Marcell Dariyon Ellison and Anthony Lamont Triplett Jr. While Ellison was charged earlier, Triplett was not taken into custody until July 17, 2025, nearly eight years after the fatal event. Triplett was located and booked into the Lake County Jail, facing counts of murder and Level 1 felony attempted murder for his alleged role in the ambush.
