3 dead, 7 wounded after shooting at block party in Gary, Indiana
GARY, Ind. (CBS) – Three people are dead, and seven others are wounded in a mass shooting at a block party in Gary Tuesday just after midnight.
Gary Police said officers were dispatched to the 1900 block of Missouri Street around 12:46 a.m. for several people with gunshot wounds.
CBS 2's Asal Rezaei reports the shooting happened in a neighborhood in southeast Gary. At the scene, there were no police cars, no police tape, just crowds of young men in front of homes, some of them wearing ski masks, some of them visibly armed with guns.
Police said officers discovered three people down and unresponsive when they arrived on the scene. Seven additional people found to be injured and taken to the hospital overnight.
Authorities aren't treating this as an active shooter situation, though we do not know if there is anyone in custody or a person of interest that police are looking into right now.
The victims who died are two men and one woman, ages ranging from 20 to 27 years old.
CBS 2 spoke with a local church pastor who said he spent much of the holiday Monday, watching the news coverage of the deadly parade shooting in Highland Park. He said young people need better guidance.
"You don't need weapons of war in a civilized society. It is always better to talk if you have a disagreement, instead of first thing you do is fight. Its not really fighting when you just pull out a gun and start shooting," said Reverend W.N. Reed of New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church.
CBS 2 reached out to the Gary Fire Department who said it responded with multiple emergency response vehicles but around 1:00 Tuesday afternoon, the division chief said still had not read the report and could not give me any additional info.
Gary police have still not responded to questions about the shooter or if they have anyone in custody. Lake County Metro Homicide Division is handling the investigation.
Upon arrival, officers discovered three people unresponsive and seven others with gunshot wounds, police said.
Marquise Hall, 26, from Lafayette, Indiana, Ashanti Brown, 20, from Olympia Fields, Illinois, and Laurance Magnum, 25, from Merrillville, Indiana were all pronounced dead on the scene by the Lake County Coroners Office.
Some of the gunshot victims self-transported to area hospitals -- others were transported by ambulance, police said.
Due to the enormity of the scene, mutual aid was requested from surrounding police agencies.
Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact the Metro Homicide Unit at 219-755-3855 or the Crime Tip Line at 866-CRIME-GP.