Fort Wayne, IN: Woman’s death is believed homicide

Likely gunned down; police hint at motive

Holly AbramsThe Journal Gazette

Laura J. Gardner”|”The Journal Gazette

Family members discovered a woman in her 30s dead in an apartment at 1307 Huestis Ave. on Sunday.

Fort Wayne police say domestic violence may have played a role in the apparent shooting death of a woman.

Officers were called just before 6:30 p.m. Sunday to 1307 Huestis Ave., just southwest of downtown, on a report of an unconscious person, according to officer Liza Thomas, a police spokeswoman.

When police and paramedics arrived, they found a woman lying face down inside an apartment in the home – with apparent gunshot wounds. The woman, who was in her 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene, Thomas said.

The woman’s identity has not been released pending an autopsy, expected to be performed today.

Thomas said family of the woman called 911 after finding her wounded. It was unclear Sunday when the woman had last been seen alive or why the family had gone to the apartment, Thomas said.

Police are investigating the death as a homicide. They are also looking into whether domestic violence played a role in the woman’s death.

The woman had a protective order in place against a man – the same man involved in the woman’s domestic violence history. But Thomas said police have no suspects.

The woman is believed to have lived alone at the apartment. At least one other tenant lives in the home, Thomas said.

“It was unclear how long it had been (since the woman was wounded or) since anyone spoke to her last,” she said.

A dog was removed from the home Sunday night by an Animal Care and Control officer. People who knew the woman gathered behind crime scene tape and asked that the dog be given to them. They were told that couldn’t be done Sunday night.

Others in the group wept and embraced one another. One woman arrived and asked police what happened.

“They shot her?” she yelled after talking to authorities. “No!”

The two-story home the woman was found inside is a rental property and had a “For Rent” sign out front. Neighbors said tenants at the home were mostly transient, renting the apartments for only a few months before moving.