A woman died and her husband was critically injured in a shooting on the west side early Thursday, police said.
The Marion County coroner’s office identified the woman as Wilma Hochstetler, 40, of Worthington, Indiana. Jonathan Hochstetler was shot in the upper neck area and transported to an area hospital, according to loved ones.
Jonathan Hochstetler is conscious and was able to speak to his parents at the hospital. He has broken bones in his neck and jaw and went into surgery Thursday afternoon, according to his father.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Samone Burris said officers found the couple suffering from apparent gunshot wounds at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday near the 3000 block of North High School Road.
Police have not yet released additional information about the shooting or a possible suspect.
Sam Hochstetler, Jonathan’s father, said his son was at a work site — he owns a roofing and gutter company — on the west side of Indianapolis at around 7 p.m. Wednesday. A tire on his trailer had blown out.
Jonathan Hochstetler sent two workers with the truck to Worthington, about an hour and a half from Indianapolis.
Wilma Hochstetler then drove to Indianapolis with the truck, a spare trailer tire and the couple’s 6-year-old son.
“It got after midnight,” Sam Hochstetler said. “They fixed the tire, they’re ready to leave and then the running lights of the trailer didn’t work.”
As the couple was fixing the trailer lights, two men walked up to them, pulled out guns and took the couple’s money and Wilma Hochstetler’s cellphone, Sam Hochstetler said.
“Jonathan told us that (the robbers) turned around and started to walk away,” Sam Hochstetler said. “All of a sudden, they just turned and shot. His wife was instantly killed. Jonathan was hit through the neck.”
Jonathan Hochstetler eventually got up and walked to the car, where his son handed him a phone to call the police.
Sam Hochstetler said his son was taken to the hospital and his grandson was taken to Child Protective Services. The child is now with family.
“He said ‘I wish they didn’t shoot my mommy’ as soon as he got home,” Sam Hochstetler said. “(But I think) he is still oblivious to what happened.”
The Hochstetlers also have three other children, aged 16, 13 and 10.