FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – A 31-year-old man from Indianapolis has been identified as the victim in Fort Wayne’s first homicide of 2026.

The Allen County Coroner’s Office has identified the man found unresponsive in a vehicle south of the intersection of Pemberton Drive and East State Boulevard early Saturday morning. The victim is 31-year-old Khiry Van Wilkens from Indianapolis. Fort Wayne Police responded to a reported crash around 5:47 a.m. and found Wilkens suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to Parkview Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The coroner ruled Wilkens’ cause of death as a gunshot wound and the manner of death as homicide. This is the first homicide reported in Fort Wayne and Allen County in 2026. The incident remains under investigation by Fort Wayne Police, the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Allen County Coroner’s Office. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Fort Wayne Police Department.