On the evening of Christmas Day, December 25, 2024, gunfire was reported near West Fourth and Wells streets in Fort Wayne. Responding officers found a man shot in the 1600 block of Wells Street; paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. The Allen County Coroner identified the victim as Philip Michael Rhinehart, 39, of Fort Wayne. An autopsy listed the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the chest and the manner of death as homicide.

Rhinehart was born in Fort Wayne, attended Meadowbrook Elementary and New Haven High School, and worked for years in the construction industry. He was known for mechanical skills and a passion for working on cars. He is survived by his mother, grandmother, sisters, and sons; his fiancée had preceded him in death.

Homicide detectives and crime scene investigators worked through the holiday; by December 26, 2024, police announced two men had been taken into custody and preliminarily charged in connection with the shooting. Was anyone in the area on the evening of December 25 who saw or heard something that could help fill gaps in the timeline?