Kia Tidwell was a 42-year-old Black woman and devoted mother of six, remembered by family as the life of the party and a woman of God. Though she lived in Portage, Indiana, she had deep roots in Gary and was one of ten siblings. Her family recalled her generosity, including an instance when she gave a brand-new jacket to a homeless woman.Kia was driving home after visiting her mother in Gary on the evening of September 6, 2024.

Just after 8 p.m., while Gary officers were investigating a disturbance at a McDonald’s on West 5th Avenue and Grant Street, shots were fired nearby from behind an apartment building. A stray bullet struck Kia in the head as she drove eastbound on 5th Avenue, causing her to lose control and crash into a tree; she was pronounced dead at the scene.Investigators with the Gary Police Department, the Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force and federal partners canvassed the area, reviewed camera footage, and analyzed cell phone and social media data. Multiple anonymous tips helped identify a suspect.

Does anyone in the area remember that night or have information about the shooting?