An 18-year-old high school senior, Lashelle Rene Hewlett, was fatally shot on February 6, 2024, during an altercation in the parking lot of the Hawthorne Apartments on Indianapolis’ east side near 32nd Street and Emerson Avenue. According to reports, an argument between Hewlett and another person turned physical. A black Dodge Charger then pulled up, and a woman who was not part of the initial dispute exited the vehicle, produced a firearm, and fired multiple shots before fleeing.

Three people were struck: Hewlett, her mother Michelle Diggs, and Hewlett’s boyfriend, who reportedly jumped in front of the gunfire to shield her. Michelle Diggs was wounded in the hand and grazed on the chest; the boyfriend was shot in the groin. Lashelle Hewlett suffered a gunshot wound to the heart and was pronounced dead. As of a year after the shooting no suspects have been publicly identified or arrested, and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has released only the vehicle description and the shooter’s gender. Family members continue to hold vigils and seek justice.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or has information about the black Dodge Charger or the shooter, please come forward to investigators.