A 51-year-old East Chicago man is standing trial on murder charges after fatally shooting an 18-year-old who entered his apartment, in a case involving Indiana's Castle Doctrine. Robert Allison told police he was unsure whether the teenager was coming at him when he fired the shot that killed Christian Ogbomon on May 29, 2023.
Ogbomon, 18, was killed two days before the date cited for his graduation, according to the Chicago Tribune. Prosecutors say Ogbomon entered the apartment on the 3700 block of Euclid Avenue to have sex with Allison's daughter. Police were called to the apartment, where officers found Ogbomon shot on a second-floor balcony.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the NWI Times, which reported that East Chicago officers responded to the scene after a 12:17 a.m. dispatch call.
From Manslaughter to Murder
A person was taken into custody at the apartment after the shooting, the NWI Times reported at the time. Prosecutors later upgraded the charge to murder, a move that dramatically raises Allison's potential prison exposure.
Allison is now charged with murder and a gun enhancement, according to the Tribune's reporting.
Conflicting Accounts of the Shooting
The case turns heavily on what happened in the moments before Allison fired. He told police he was unsure whether Ogbomon was advancing toward him, according to the Tribune. The NWI Times reported that Allison believed the victim had broken into the apartment.
The prosecution and defense have offered different accounts of the shooting.
Defense Points to Allison's Response and Training
The case also involves Indiana's Castle Doctrine.
The trial continues in the case, which was investigated by East Chicago police, according to CrimeSolversCentral.
Ogbomon, who was from Hammond, was 18. His family and community are left to watch a trial that will ultimately decide whether his death was a criminal homicide born of mistaken fear, or a case protected by the very law meant to shield homeowners in the dead of night.
