On the night of December 12, 1998, 26-year-old Ronnie Cantrell of Elkhart, Indiana, was shot while seated inside an SUV outside a VFW Post at 1318 S. 6th Street. The shooting erupted as a dance was ending at about 2:30 a.m.; several gunshots were fired and another man standing nearby suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Cantrell was taken to a local hospital by private means but died after sustaining a severe head wound from a shot through the eye and never regained consciousness.

At the time of his death Cantrell worked as a drywaller, lived with his girlfriend, and was the father of two children, ages five and seven. Family remembered him as a loving son, a great big brother to his two sisters, sociable, and someone who enjoyed cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the family. Police developed a suspect after pursuing leads but lacked sufficient evidence to make an arrest, and the case is now cold.

If anyone was at the VFW that night or has information about what happened, please come forward to help bring Ronnie’s killer to justice.