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Elkhart, Indiana – A Hispanic gunman who killed two people inside a grocery store was fatally shot in a subsequent exchange of gunfire with police, leaving two officers injured.
The shooting took place on the evening of January 27 at Martin’s Super Market. When officers arrived, they discovered the bodies of 49-year-old Benjamin Jeffery, a White customer, and 19-year-old Annasue Rocha, a Hispanic employee.
The suspect, 54-year-old Juan Sanchez, opened fire on law enforcement, injuring two White officers before being fatally shot.
According to Elkhart County Prosecutor Vicki Becker, Sanchez appeared to be “looking for a victim” and was specifically targeting young women.
Sanchez had been in the store for approximately 20 minutes before the shooting. Authorities say he grabbed Rocha when she attempted a routine ID verification for an alcohol purchase. He then drew a firearm and warned bystanders not to interfere before fatally shooting Rocha.
During the chaos, as customers attempted to escape, Sanchez fired at their backs, striking and killing Jeffery. Becker also revealed that after shooting Rocha, Sanchez fired additional rounds into her body before exiting the store. He then crossed the street to an apartment complex, where he shot two White police officers before being neutralized by responding officers.
Becker also mentioned that Sanchez moved to Indiana from Illinois last year. Additionally, records indicate a woman had previously filed a protective order against Sanchez in Illinois, though the details remain unspecified.
The two White officers injured in the incident, Corporal Paul Vandenburg and Patrolman Ethan Pasternak, have since been released from the hospital.
Benjamin “Giggles” Jeffery, remembered as a dedicated community servant and aspiring author, had a history of helping others through his work with the Red Cross and as a certified nursing assistant.
In 2001, he tragically lost his wife and two daughters in a house fire. His obituary notes his deep faith, including the quote: “The shooter didn’t know he could not kill a Christian. But instead, he changed his address to heaven.” He is survived by his wife and many loved ones.
Annasue Rocha worked as a cashier at Martin’s Super Market. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support her family. Organizer Chelsea Los shared a message from her recent meeting with Rocha’s parents:
“I met with Annasue’s mother and father today to discuss financial distribution for all the outpouring of love… It was a heartbreaking conversation – the pain is so raw and real.”
As of this article’s publication, multiple officials, including the mayor of Elkhart and the governor, have commented on the event but have not labeled it a mass shooting.
Multiple organizations have varied definitions of a ‘mass shooting,’ but according to the Gun Violence Archive—a widely recognized database—this incident meets the criteria, as it involved four victims.
Additionally, photos or videos of the suspect have not been released to the public.
Elkhart, Indiana has an approximate population of 53,000 and is located near the border of Michigan. According to Census estimates, Hispanic residents make up 19.5% of the population. Meanwhile non-Hispanic White residents make up 58.4% and Black residents make up 13.7% of the population.
From 2019 to 2023, Elkhart police reported 21 homicides. However, data on suspect ethnicity is incomplete, with 16 cases listed as “unknown.” This lack of comprehensive statistics makes most of the data useless for tracking Hispanic crime.
The problem compounds as Elkhart Police do not appear to give access to crime statistics without a Freedom of Information request. Additionally, their web site links to a crime map, but it contains no data.
Nonetheless, Elkhart does fall in line with some national crime trends as Blacks were arrested as the suspect in over 57% of Elkhart’s homicide investigations, an over representation in excess of 300%.
While violent crime is often attributed to the Black community, Hispanic offenders also make up a significant portion of offenders.
Ten days before Juan Sanchez opened fire in Elkhart, a Hispanic chef in Raleigh, North Carolina opened fire on his coworkers during a birthday celebration at a restaurant, killing his White manager and injuring another Hispanic employee before taking his own life.
According to reports, the chef had a criminal history and even voiced support online for a friend who is an anti-White political activist.
Last October, a White mother of three was found dead in Mesa, Arizona from multiple gunshots at a bus stop. For the crime, police arrested a 44-year-old “unhoused” Hispanic man who they say had been panhandling at the time.
Police reports suggest the Hispanic man fired at least 38 bullets at a complete stranger based on a later refuted claim that she was menacing passerby with a pistol.
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