Family, friends remember deaf man killed in road rage shooting

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana State Police tell WRTV that they have arrested two people in connection with a deadly road rage shooting from earlier this week .

On Friday, ISP announced the arrest of two people in connection with the shooting. A 24-year-old man from Indianapolis faces a murder charge and a Greenwood woman faces a charge for Assisting a Criminal.

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“We were inseparable. We were together growing up. He was my Robin to my Batman,” Drew Hawkins, Ryan’s brother told WRTV on Friday.

Ryan’s family and friends spoke to WRTV on Friday through a sign language interpreter. Family tells WRTV that Ryan was deaf.

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“We are proud to identify as deaf and now are missing somebody,” Hawkins added. According to State Police, Hawkins was driving northbound on I-65 near Southport Road when he was shot and veered off of the highway.

Hawkins' car crashed into a pond, and he was thrown from the vehicle before it sank. State police found a bullet wound on Hawkins' body and several bullet holes in Hawkins' car.

“I just couldn’t explain it – my best friend was shot, I just knew that he was bouncing back and things were getting ready to take off for him,” Benjamin Levine, Ryan’s best friend told WRTV.

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His family tells WRTV they don’t know exactly what led to the deadly shooting, but they said Ryan was being chased at some point,

“All I know was that he was trying to get away from these people and they were chasing him down and I think he knew that something was wrong,” Hawkins concluded.

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