In the early morning hours of January 3, 2026, gunfire at the Hawthorne Apartments on Indianapolis’s east side left two young men dead. Seventeen-year-old Christian Maradiagas Gonzalez and 20-year-old Brayan Munoz Romero were found fatally shot inside a stolen vehicle in the 5300 block of East 32nd Street after a call of a person shot shortly before 7 a.m. Two other people — a juvenile and an adult — were found outside the vehicle with critical injuries and were taken to local hospitals; they were later reported in stable condition.

The IMPD Homicide Office is investigating and has said it is trying to determine why four people were in the stolen vehicle that morning. As of late January 2026, no arrests or suspects have been publicly identified in the deaths of Gonzalez and Romero. The shooting has prompted city leaders to engage the Indianapolis Housing Agency about safety at the complex.

If anyone saw activity at the Hawthorne Apartments that morning or has information about who was involved, please contact the IMPD Homicide Office.