A Gary man was sentenced to 18 years Friday in the high-profile shooting death of a driver near the 5th Avenue McDonald’s in September 2024, according to Gary Police.
Tedric Guy, 21, pleaded guilty in June to reckless homicide, a Level 5 felony, a gun enhancement and attempted battery with a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony. He faced up to 22 years in the plea deal.
Kia Tidwell, 42, of Portage, was killed in the shooting.
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In a Facebook post, Gary Police said they gave their “deepest condolences to her family, friends, and loved ones. No sentence can erase the pain caused by the loss of a loved one, but we hope that today’s resolution provides some measure of accountability and closure to those who continue to grieve her passing.”
Charging documents allege Guy was targeting three men in an orange Dodge Charger on Sept. 6, 2024, in the 5th Avenue McDonald’s drive-thru. Instead, he shot Tidwell once in the head as she drove by.
Gary Police responded after someone called 911, then hung up.
“Someone is going to get shot,” a witness told cops they overheard, before gunfire erupted.
Tidwell’s red Volkswagen SUV crashed into a tree. The driver’s door was shot up and the window was shattered. Officers found 15 9 mm casings near the apartment across the street on the 1500 block of W. 5th Avenue.
Security video from 8:18 p.m. showed “muzzle flashes” toward the Charger. Its driver got out and returned fire. Two male passengers got out and ran. Cops found the vehicle — which was still in the drive-thru — abandoned.
Two passengers later admitted they were in the Charger, but declined to say why someone would want to shoot at them, or who the shooter was. Police couldn’t find the driver, but learned he “fled the jurisdiction.”
Several anonymous tips led to Guy.