Tonya Louise Gray was 19 when she was shot and killed in Merrillville, Indiana, in the early morning of April 7, 2020. Officers responding to reports of gunfire around 2 a.m. found her inside a vehicle in the 7300 block of Bigger Street; she had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at 3:20 a.m. by the Lake County coroner’s office. The Merrillville Police Department classified the death as a homicide and opened an investigation.

Tonya was born April 5, 2001, in Jacksonville, Illinois, and was remembered by family and friends for her vibrant personality and love of sports, having played volleyball, softball, and run track while attending school in Greenfield, Illinois. Vigils and memorials have been held in her memory. No suspects have been publicly identified and no arrests have been announced; her family continues to seek answers and justice.

If anyone knew Tonya, saw activity in the 7300 block of Bigger Street on April 7, 2020, or has information about this shooting, please come forward.