On the night of December 12, 1998, 26-year-old Ronnie Cantrell, a male resident of Elkhart, Indiana, was at a dance at the VFW Post located at 1318 S. 6th Street. As the event was concluding at approximately 2:30 a.m., chaos erupted when several gunshots were fired in the vicinity. Cantrell was seated inside an SUV outside the post when he was struck by the gunfire.
Another man standing nearby was also hit but sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
In the immediate aftermath, several fights broke out as the crowd of about 30 people began to disperse. When Elkhart Police arrived at the scene, they discovered the injured man and learned that Cantrell had already been transported to a local hospital by private means. His family, including his mother, was notified and managed to be by his side at the trauma center before he succumbed to his injuries. He had sustained a severe head wound from being shot through the eye and never regained consciousness.
At the time of his death, Cantrell was working as a drywaller with aspirations of starting his own business. He was living with his girlfriend and was the father of two young children, ages five and seven. Described as a loving son and a great big brother to his two sisters, he was known for enjoying the company of others and had a passion for cooking Thanksgiving dinner for his family.
The investigation into Ronnie Cantrell's murder became a cold case. Although police were able to develop a suspect after pursuing numerous leads, a lack of sufficient evidence prevented any arrests from being made. Authorities have expressed hope that with the passage of time, individuals who were present that night and possess information about the shooting will come forward to help bring his killer to justice.
