The Elkhart County Prosecutors Office has identified those two as 49-year-old Benjamin Jeffery and 19-year-old Annasue Rocha, both of Elkhart.
Investigative units with the Elkhart County Homicide Unit were at the store early Tuesday morning, working to uncover what happened.
Shots were fired at the downtown Elkhart Martin’s just after 5:30 p.m. Monday.
We are working to best support the impacted families, our associates, the first responders, and the entire Elkhart community.
How You Can Help The Community Foundation of Elkhart County announced Tuesday their will help the families impacted by the shooting during this difficult time.
It is a calm afternoon outside the East Jackson Boulevard Martin’s Super Market, where detectives are working inside following a fatal shooting that occurred less than twenty-four hours ago.
After a shooting in downtown Elkhart, two people are dead.
The two have been identified by the Elkhart County Prosecutors Office as Elkhart residents Benjamin Jeffrey, 49, and Annasue Rocha, 19. One of Martin’s employees was Rocha.
Just outside the store, the suspect—who has since been identified as Juan Sanchez, 54—was also shot and killed by police. Sanchez had spent the previous year relocating from Illinois to the area.
Corporal Paul Vandenburg and Patrolman Ethan Pasternak were the two officers wounded in that gunfight. Pasternak’s condition at the hospital is stable and fair. On Monday evening, Vandenburg left the hospital.
Early Tuesday morning, Elkhart County Homicide Unit investigative units were at the store trying to figure out what had happened.
Shortly after 5:30 p.m., shots were fired at the Elkhart Martin’s downtown. M. Monday.
Outside the store, officers confronted the suspect, and the two were shot at.
For over seven years, Cpl. Vandenburg has been a member of the Elkhart Police Department. Ptl Pasternak has nearly two years of experience with the Elkhart Police Department.
Outside, the alleged shooter was shot and killed.
Jasmine Diver, a witness from an apartment next door, gave some thought to the tragic event.
traumatic and devastating, and it has varying effects on individuals. And I’m merely sort of here to share what I saw, heard, and what happened; regrettably, some people are impacted slightly differently. It is supposed to be a safe place to live, and we just kind of stay safe out here. This is directly outside my house. My initial reaction was, “Where’s it coming from? Do they need help? I need to call 911,” but Diver recalled that moment when she looked down and saw the body.
Where the shooting occurred inside the store is also still a mystery.
This is what a Martin’s Supermarket representative told WSBT 22 News in a statement they sent Tuesday morning.
As we grieve yesterday’s tragedy and the unfathomable number of lives lost, our team is overcome with sadness. Our goal is to provide the best possible support to the affected families, our coworkers, the first responders, and the Elkhart community as a whole. We appreciate the prompt action taken by our colleagues and law enforcement officials, and we will keep assisting the police in their investigation.
Since the investigation is still ongoing, no motive has also been established as of yet.
On Tuesday, the Martin’s Supermarket located on East Jackson Boulevard is still closed.
Customers can now retrieve their cars from the parking lot if they were at the store when the shooting occurred.
Community Responses.
The grieving community continues to receive support from local leaders on Tuesday.
A statement issued by Congressman Rudy Yakym (R) on Tuesday read as follows.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families following the tragic event that occurred in Elkhart last night. Throughout the course of the investigation, our team will continue to provide our complete support and stay in communication with state and local authorities. I pray that the courageous officers who put themselves in danger to protect the defenseless shoppers continue to recover, and I am incredibly thankful for them. Our public safety officials’ resilience during tragedies is something we will always be grateful for. Together, we will strive to advance and create a more secure and resilient community. Elkhart, Indiana, has always been a resilient city.
How You Can Assist.
On Tuesday, the Elkhart County Community Foundation decided to support the families affected by the shooting during this trying time.
The fund’s entire earnings will be used to support the bereaved families.