Keionta Lamar Martin, 20, of Merrillville has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Hendrick Robinson during an apparent armed robbery in Gary.
Robinson, 59, was found with gunshot wounds near the 400 block of Richard Gordon Hatcher Boulevard on Monday, Oct. 19, according to a probable cause affidavit first reported by Region News Source. He was transported to Methodist Northlake Hospital, where he died. An autopsy ruled the death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the torso.
Martin also faces robbery and attempted robbery charges with two firearm enhancements, according to Region News Source's account of the affidavit. CBS News Chicago reported the charges as two counts of murder, one count of attempted armed robbery and one count of attempted robbery.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and Martin is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Witness alleges confession to robbery
A witness told investigators that Martin arrived at a residence in the 4400 block of Ryan Court in Gary after the shooting and described what had happened, according to the affidavit. Martin allegedly said he and another person had gone to rob someone in an alley when an older man began shooting at them.
The witness alleged Martin said his associate shot the older man. The witness also told investigators Martin fired at the victim with a firearm equipped with a "switch," a device that converts certain firearms to automatic fire.
Crime scene investigators recovered 76 spent shell casings from the area. Evidence indicated at least three firearms were discharged. Police determined Robinson had been carrying a .45-caliber handgun.
License plate readers helped identify suspect
Witnesses reported hearing gunfire and seeing two or three people run from the scene before getting into a white Nissan and fleeing. Investigators identified the vehicle as a white 2023 Nissan Sentra through license plate reader records.
On Thursday, Oct. 22, Gary police located the vehicle near 8901 East 5th Ave. and conducted a traffic stop. Martin was in the passenger seat. Officers found an AR-style pistol on the passenger-side floorboard, the affidavit states.
The Nissan was registered to Martin through Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles records.
Surveillance and shifting accounts
Footage from a nearby apartment building captured Robinson walking along the boulevard shortly before the shooting. A man in a black hooded sweatshirt approached him and appeared to ask a question, the affidavit states. The two walked toward an alley, and moments later gunfire could be heard.
Martin initially denied knowledge of Robinson's killing but acknowledged owning the vehicle and the firearm, according to the affidavit. He claimed he had been at his girlfriend's or mother's home around the time of the shooting.
License plate reader records placed Martin's Nissan near the scene shortly after 3:33 p.m. on Oct. 19, the estimated time of the shooting. A neighbor's surveillance footage showed Martin arriving at the Ryan Court residence in his white Nissan around 4:30 p.m., about one hour later.
The Lake County Prosecutor's Homicide Task Force led the investigation with assistance from the Gary Police Department. According to CBS News Chicago, one or two additional people may have been involved, but Martin was the only person charged as of Monday, Oct. 26.
