17-year-old dies after shooting, crash in South Bend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A 17-year-old girl is dead after she was shot and the vehicle she was in crashed into a home on Hildreth Street Thursday night.

Detectives say South Bend Police were dispatched to the 1100 block of Clover Street for a report of gunshots around 8 p.m.

Officers found a car that had crashed into a home on Hildreth Street near Twyckenham Drive about a block away from Clover Street.  

According to the St. Joseph County Homicide Unit, Tysiona Crawford was found in the vehicle with at least one gunshot wound.

A witness said he saw the shooter.

"Looked out the window and I could see the person 'bang, bang, bang, bang' and that's when I called 911. And by the time I looked back outside they were gone," said Marty Kooy.

Crawford was taken to South Bend Memorial Hospital with life-threatening injuries where she later died.

Crawford died of a gunshot wound, according to the autopsy. Her manner of death was homicide.

Indiana University South Bend's campus is just one block from where the incident occurred. A campus alert was sent out to students within 30 minutes of the call. A statement was later issued to ABC 57 News by campus officials about the alert:

"We issued the crime alert last night so students, faculty and staff would be aware of the situation. Even though it was off campus it was close enough that we felt people should be aware of it and take precautions. We had a strong police presence in the area last night and offered police escorts if anyone on campus wanted one. Everyone handled the situation very well. There are no related issues today."

One neighbor heard it all unfold and says he's shocked the victim was so young.

“This is sad. Especially when these young kids lives are taken away, they’re not even getting a chance to be an adult," said Quinlann Washington, a resident of South Bend.

“Shooting and everything it’s just uncalled for. People that have these guns and they’re just going around doing the senseless killing. It makes me wonder about my kids.. because I have three, and then I have to protect them.”

He says he hopes he never has to hear it again.

“Its just unbelievable to hear something like this happen and for that young girl to die the way she did.. my prayers and heart goes out to the family.. my condolences," said Washington.

Detectives say no arrests have been made and it has not been confirmed with SJCMHU that the suspect described above is who they are looking for.