On a late Friday afternoon in Gary, Indiana, what should have been a celebration of entrepreneurial success turned into a scene of tragedy. Kevin Hood, a 43-year-old father of five, had recently opened his third car wash and was celebrating the grand opening on July 28, 2017, when he was fatally shot. The incident happened outside his new business, Shine On Hand Car Wash & Detail, located at 15th and Massachusetts streets.
Less than 30 minutes after the shooting, Hood was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the death of the male entrepreneur revealed a sinister plot that extended beyond a simple robbery. Authorities uncovered a larger criminal conspiracy involving drug trafficking. Two men, Devontae “Lil Cuz” Martin and Taquan “Boonie” Clarke, were ultimately indicted in connection with the murder. According to court documents, Martin, armed with an AK-47-style rifle, drove through the car wash with the intention of robbing Hood of both money and cocaine. A physical altercation ensued between Martin and Hood, during which Clarke ran up and shot Hood.
The case, which involved the FBI's Gang Response Investigative Team, Gary Police, and the Lake County Sheriff's Department, also implicated other individuals in a drug ring connected to Hood's murder and another homicide in 2016. In August 2022, a co-defendant named Teddia “Teddy” Caldwell pleaded guilty to leading a cocaine ring and conspiring with Martin and Clarke to rob Hood. In May 2023, a jury convicted both Martin and Clarke for their roles in Kevin Hood's murder. Martin was subsequently sentenced to life in prison for using a firearm to commit murder, with an additional 20-year sentence for conspiring to distribute and possess cocaine with the intent to distribute. Clarke's sentencing was delayed following a motion by his lawyers.
Kevin Hood was remembered by neighbors as a motorcycle enthusiast who was always ready to lend a helping hand. He was planning to attend his class reunion at West Side Leadership Academy the weekend of his death; the gathering instead became an impromptu memorial for their slain classmate.
