Fourteen-year-old Depree Mims was shot and killed in his home last month.
Police say the killing of the eighth-grader could be gang-related, but they didn't say Mims was the intended target.
Police described Mims as a respectful young boy.
"The family was very protective of Depree. If he wanted to go to church with the family, all eight brothers and sisters would go with him," said a Merrillville Police spokesperson. "He was kind of a sheltered kid."
Four suspects were taken into custody and have been charged with his murder.
Police say they can't remember any other similar shootings in Merrillville.
