11-year-old boy killed in South Bend shooting identified

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - The South Bend Police Department is investigating after an 11-year-old boy was shot and killed on Thursday.

Officers were called just before 5 p.m. to the 600 block of N. Johnson Street on a ShotSpotter notification. When they arrived, they found an 11-year-old boy, identified as T’yon Horston of South Bend, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

Horston was taken to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries. His autopsy is set for Friday in Kalamazoo.

City officials issued statements hours after the shooting on Thursday evening.

South Bend Mayor James Mueller’s statement called on the community to come together in the time of tragedy and urged those with information to come forward.

Democratic mayoral candidate Henry Davis Jr., the representative of the district in which the shooting happened, called for the expansion of mental health services and more comprehensive after-school programming in a statement issued to the media.

Davis also spoke directly to 16 News Now hours after the shooting.

“Our community is obviously reeling from the violence that we are impacted by each and every day, but when you hear about an 11-year-old child that is gunned down for whatever reason, obviously it makes you want to pause and go find your child and hug your child,” Davis said. “I actually went out to the scene of the crime. Many of the neighbors I do know that are impacted, directly impacted, because it’s right across the street from their home or right in front of their home. So, there’s always this question of what are you going to do next, or what we can do.”

Jorden Giger, a candidate for South Bend’s 2nd District and co-founder of Black Lives Matter South Bend, also spoke to 16 News Now.

“As legislators and politicians, we can’t dictate what happens in a household,” Giger said. “What we can do is leverage the resources that we have at our disposal to try to address these situations.”

Horston was a sixth grader at Jefferson Traditional Middle School and was previously a student at Jackson Middle School.

South Bend Schools Superintendent Dr. Todd Cummings issued a statement on Friday, saying in part the South Bend Schools community is “devastated by this senseless act of violence.” The full statement can be read below:

Meanwhile, Jefferson Principal Chiquita Adams issued a statement on the school’s Facebook page, saying in part that she is heartbroken, and there is additional support on campus as the Jefferson School community navigates its loss.

Community leaders held a press conference on Friday morning to speak out about the shooting in-person.

The South Bend Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit is handling the investigation. If you have any information, you’re asked to call Michiana Crime Stoppers at 574-288-STOP.

Copyright 2023 WNDU. All rights reserved.