A gathering on Dunham Street in South Bend turned deadly in the early hours of Sunday, March 15, 2026, when 21-year-old Carl Bates was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. The night had begun with a party at a residence; later, several people including Bates and 19-year-old Riley Morgan-Reed left to smoke by a silver Dodge Journey parked nearby. Witnesses say Morgan-Reed had been displaying a Glock 19 with an extended magazine and making vague threats earlier in the evening.

Witness accounts place Morgan-Reed, Bates, and another person at the vehicle, followed by shouting outside and gunfire near Dunham and Kentucky streets. Police were alerted by ShotSpotter just after 2 a.m. and found Bates on the sidewalk. Investigators recovered an iPhone matching Morgan-Reed’s description near the scene; Morgan-Reed was located about twelve hours later and told police he fired at Bates after believing he saw two figures and thought he had been the victim of an attempted robbery. The St. Joseph County Prosecutor charged Riley Morgan-Reed with murder and a felony firearm enhancement and asked that he be held without bail.

Does anyone have additional information about the party on Dunham Street or the events leading up to the shooting?