Gary Jaden Shanklin, a 23-year-old Black/African American male from East Chicago, Indiana, was known to his family as "Ched." His loved ones described him as a great brother, son, and a joyful, friendly person with a smile that could light up a room. A proud father to his young daughter, Zahyir, Gary had a strong work ethic and a love for the outdoors, embracing life fully and making every moment count.
In the pre-dawn hours of May 18, 2025, Gary was with his friend, 29-year-old Montelle DeMarco Lang, at an apartment in the Renaissance Towers on the 500 block of Michigan Street in Hammond, Indiana. The two were resting after a party when a violent confrontation erupted. The ex-boyfriend of a woman in the apartment, Anthoney Smothers, arrived from a bar with two other men, Marvin Clark and Daniel Harmon. When the woman refused to let them in, the men removed a screen and climbed through a living room window. An argument broke out between the groups.
The woman tried to de-escalate the situation by leading Smothers outside while telling Gary and Montelle to leave through the front door. As they did, shots were fired. Police were dispatched around 3:30 a.m. and found Gary and Montelle shot to death in a stairwell. Autopsies confirmed both men died from multiple gunshot wounds, and their deaths were ruled homicides.
The Hammond Police Department’s investigation quickly identified the three men who had entered the apartment. The dispute was connected to Montelle Lang’s new relationship with Smothers’ ex-girlfriend. Investigators learned that Smothers had been arguing with the woman just before the shooting. Ballistics tests indicated that two different guns were used in the killings.
In early June 2025, authorities charged Anthoney Terrell Hakim Smothers, 29, with two counts of murder, three counts of burglary, and one count of domestic battery. His co-defendants, Marvin “Geno” Clark and Daniel “Danny” Harmon, were also charged in connection with the double homicide.
In March 2026, Marvin Clark, 33, was tried separately. During the trial, prosecutors argued that the three men had a plan to ensure the victims did not escape, calling the killings a “cold-hearted” and “deliberate execution.” A jury convicted Clark on four counts of murder and three counts of burglary. At his sentencing hearing, Gary’s aunt described him as the “light of our family.” In April 2026, a judge sentenced Marvin Clark to 130 years in prison for his role in the murders of Gary Shanklin and Montelle Lang.
