On Saturday, May 22, 2021, 29-year-old mother Candiace Marie Lay was killed in her apartment at the Villages of Hanna in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when a stray bullet passed through her window. The shot came during a shootout that erupted in the complex parking lot; Lay was inside her home raising her three children and was described by family as a devoted and loving mother who faced physical challenges while prioritizing her children’s well-being.

The confrontation in the parking lot reportedly began when a group of men drinking there questioned 20-year-old Jamarion Thomas about carrying an AR-15 style rifle in the presence of children. Accounts say the verbal dispute escalated and gunfire was exchanged, leaving Lay dead inside and four other people injured outside. The Fort Wayne Police Department investigated and arrested Jamarion Thomas, who was charged with aggravated battery causing death in connection with the incident.

Who in Fort Wayne might have been near the Villages of Hanna that evening or have information about the confrontation in the parking lot?