‘A beautiful person’: Mother of 6 shot, killed while driving in Gary

GARY, Ind. — A mother of six was shot and killed while driving Friday night in Gary.

Just after 8 p.m., police were dispatched to a McDonald’s, located in the 1500 block of West 5th Avenue, on the report of a disturbance inside.

Police learned a large group left the McDonald’s on foot and officers at the scene heard a loud disturbance near Lincoln Street.

Officers began to approach the group but became pinned down after several shots were fired behind an apartment building, according to police.

Police observed a red vehicle nearby, driven by Kia Tidwell, 42, of Portage. Tidwell was shot by the gunfire and crashed her vehicle into a tree.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials. Her death was ruled a homicide and the shooting was listed as the cause of death.

Tidwell, a mother of six, was on the phone with her daughter at the time after visiting her parents’ house in Gary.

“Her daughter heard ‘oh my God, they are shooting…Jesus,'” cousin Lanita Tidwell told WGN News. “She was hit in the neck.”

Kia and Lanita were close and she’s devastated at the tragic loss.

“She was a beautiful person. Every time you saw Kia she had a smile on her face,” Tidwell said. “She was a hard worker and took care of her children. She was jazzy — she was going to be dressed nice and would do anything for you.”

Tidwell said family has been numb since the shooting and her youngest child, 4, has asked “call mommy, where’s mommy?”

Police are asking the public’s help for tips as no one is currently in custody.

A GoFundMe for her family has raised nearly $1,500 at this time.

Anyone with information can text a tip to 219-207-8477 or call police at 219-755-3855.

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