In the quiet of a late Friday night, a tragedy unfolded in Gary, Indiana, that left a community grappling with grief and disbelief. Chasity Shorter, a 21-year-old woman four months pregnant, was found shot to death in a home on the 400 block of Clark Street. Her life, filled with the promise of motherhood, was cut short in an act of violence that the Lake County Coroner’s Office has ruled a homicide. Alongside her, authorities discovered the body of 21-year-old Brice Taylor of Hammond, Indiana, also killed by gunshot wounds. The coroner has classified the incident as a murder-suicide, a stark and sorrowful conclusion to a scene that has shaken those who knew the young couple and the neighborhood they called home.
The call came to the Lake County Coroner’s Office at 11:22 p.m. on May 16, 2025, summoning officials to a residence where the unthinkable had occurred. Upon arrival, investigators found Chasity, her life extinguished by gunfire, her unborn child lost with her. The loss of a young mother-to-be has cast a heavy shadow over Gary, a city no stranger to hardship but deeply wounded by this personal and profound tragedy. Brice Taylor, identified by family at the scene, was found nearby, his death determined to be self-inflicted following the fatal shooting of Chasity. The coroner’s office, through forensic autopsy, confirmed the cause of death for both individuals, with Chasity’s ruled a homicide and Brice’s a suicide.
Details surrounding the events leading to this devastating outcome remain scarce, as authorities have released little additional information. The Gary Police Department, alongside the Lake County Coroner’s Office, is continuing its investigation, piecing together the moments that culminated in such a heartbreaking loss. What is known is that the incident occurred in a residential area, a place where neighbors often share in each other’s joys and sorrows. For those living near Clark Street, the news has brought a somber pause, a moment to reflect on the fragility of life and the impact of violence in their community.
Chasity Shorter’s death is not just a statistic in a city that has faced its share of challenges; it is a deeply human loss. She was a young woman with dreams, perhaps of cradling her child, of building a future filled with love and possibility. Her pregnancy, a symbol of hope, makes her death all the more poignant, resonating with anyone who understands the sacred bond between a mother and her unborn child. Brice Taylor, too, was a young man with a story, one that ended in a moment of irreversible despair. The reasons behind his actions may never be fully understood, but the aftermath leaves families, friends, and a community searching for answers and solace.
This tragedy comes amid a series of violent incidents in Northwest Indiana, where the Lake County Coroner’s Office has been called to respond to multiple shootings and deaths in recent months. Just a day earlier, on May 15, two men were found shot to death in nearby Hammond, a reminder of the broader challenges the region faces. Yet, the loss of Chasity and her unborn child stands out for its intimacy, its stark reminder of how violence can shatter the most personal of moments. Community leaders and residents alike are left to mourn, to question, and to seek ways to heal.
As the investigation continues, the focus remains on honoring Chasity’s memory and supporting those she left behind. Her family, identified as those who confirmed her identity at the scene, now faces the unimaginable task of grieving a daughter, a sister, and the child she carried. For Gary, this moment is a call to come together, to offer compassion, and to work toward a future where such tragedies are no longer a part of the city’s story. The silence of that Friday night on Clark Street will linger, but so too will the resolve to remember Chasity Shorter and the light she carried.
