A promising 15-year-old from Hammond was shot to death inside a parked car on the evening of Friday, February 5, 2016, in Gary, Indiana. Police found the vehicle in the 800 block of Burr Street at about 8:30 p.m.; the driver’s side door was ajar and two teenagers inside had been fatally shot. The Lake County Coroner identified the victims as Mark Skipper and 16-year-old Kasreeyal Hester of Gary.

Skipper played baseball and football at Morton High School and was remembered by his family as lovable, funny and outgoing, with dreams of playing professional baseball. Hester and Skipper were best friends; Hester had reportedly been celebrating his birthday that night.

The Gary Police Department and the Lake County/Gary Metro Homicide Unit opened an investigation and asked the public for information. No arrests have been publicly announced and the case remains unsolved.

If anyone knew Mark or Kasreeyal or has information about that night on Burr Street, please come forward.