Damien Dae Dae Abenante-Villa was a 14-year-old boy from Chicago visiting relatives in Whiting, Indiana, and was fatally shot before sunrise on March 23, 2024, while walking with a small group near the 1600 block of LaPorte Avenue, close to Ohio Avenue, en route to a nearby park. Witnesses heard two sharp pops; Damien was struck in the chest, companions scattered, white shoes and a cell phone were left on the sidewalk, shell casings were found, and no weapon was recovered. He was taken to St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago and did not survive; the Lake County Coroner’s Office ruled the death a homicide. Neighbors and family held a vigil; his mother Amanda Abenante urged anyone with information to step forward.

Investigators reviewed security footage showing a black Nissan leaving the area, traced the vehicle to a relative of Leonardo Nunez, and alleged phone-location data placed Nunez in the area. Court filings say Nunez sought treatment at a Chicago hospital on March 24 for a gunshot wound. On May 17, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Leonardo Nunez, 20, at his Chicago home; a criminal case was unsealed on May 24 charging him with one count of murder and he was held without bond. Records differ on whether the death date is recorded as March 23 or March 24, 2024.

If anyone on LaPorte Avenue that morning or with information about the black Nissan or Adonis knows anything, please come forward.