Customer and teen employee identified as fatal victims from Elkhart Martin’s shooting

ELKHART — A Martin’s employee and a customer were identified as two people who died from a shooting at Martin’s Super Market on Monday.

The Elkhart County Homicide Unit is continuing its investigation after a lone gunman, identified as Juan M. Sanchez, 54, who the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s office said moved to the area within the past year from Illinois, entered the store on East Jackson Boulevard around 5:45 p.m. on Jan. 27 and fired numerous shots inside.

Elkhart residents Benjamin S. Jeffrey, 49, a customer, and Annasue Rocha, 19, an store employee, were pronounced dead on the scene, the Elkhart Police Department said in a press release.

After exiting the store, Sanchez was confronted by two Elkhart officers, Corporal Paul Vandenburg and Patrolman Ethan Pasternak, and Sanchez shot at them, the prosecutor’s office said. Sanchez was shot and killed by the officers’ return fire, the press release said. Both officers were injured in the shooting and are recovering from their injuries, the prosecutor’s office said. As of Tuesday afternoon, Pasternak remains in the hospital in fair and stable condition, they said.

The homicide unit’s investigation is currently looking into the actions of Sanchez and the officers as well as looking into evidence, witness interviews and background information. The investigators are working to answer questions “that are undoubtedly on everyone’s mind, especially ‘why,'” said the prosecutor’s office, adding that these investigations take time and objectivity.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the homicide unit at 574-295-2825.

Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Victims and shooter identified in Elkhart Martin’s shooting incident