Mass Killing Event that wasn't...

[ELB]

The incident occurred Wednesday night [2/12/14] at the Safe and Sound Senior Citizens Social Club in Gary. ... [Gary, Indiana, far too close to Chicago for its own good.]

“The dude came in, told everyone to hit the floor. But the dude doesn’t wait and starts shooting,” said club manager Willie Lay to the Chicago Tribune. “He pointed the gun all around. He wasn’t aiming. . . People were hollering and shots were popping.”

Four patrons were hit by the erratic gunfire, ranging in age from 43 to 76.

A 65-year-old club regular, E.C. Robinson, was struck in the foot. He drew his self-defense pistol and fired back, striking the suspect.

Another patron also was armed and returned fire. The unexpected resistance caused the gunman to flee out the rear of the establishment, but was trapped and apprehended.

...

The Chicago Tribune reported that witnesses outside the club saw two other men displaying guns and attempting to enter, but they quickly changed their minds and ran away.

...

The 4 victims and one suspect were hospitalized but their respective conditions were not available.
http://nwigazette.com/2014/02/13/mass-s ... izen-club/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Keith B]

Sounds like this place may have not been totally up front either http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake ... 05430.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ELB]

Gary seems to be following the Detroit model. In its heyday it was a steel mill town, but most of those have closed down, many people left, about 1/3 of houses are abandoned, 1/4 of population below poverty line, etc etc. Oh, and city government run by Democrats for years. Their PD seems to be poorly managed and underfunded (also a recent Chief of Police died in prison after being convicted of excessive force and illegal arrests -- sounds like he used his police powers to settle a personal dispute). I doubt the FD and the rest of the government is any better.

So the social club is probably par for the course.

[Keith B]

Gary seems to be following the Detroit model. In its heyday it was a steel mill town, but most of those have closed down, many people left, about 1/3 of houses are abandoned, 1/4 of population below poverty line, etc etc. Oh, and city government run by Democrats for years. Their PD seems to be poorly managed and underfunded (also a recent Chief of Police died in prison after being convicted of excessive force and illegal arrests -- sounds like he used his police powers to settle a personal dispute). I doubt the FD and the rest of the government is any better.

So the social club is probably par for the course.

It all starts when the billiard parlor gets a pool table.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=s60hOgqLFGg[/youtube]

[MotherBear]

It all starts when the billiard parlor gets a pool table.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=s60hOgqLFGg[/youtube]

[Keith B]

It all starts when the billiard parlor gets a pool table.

Thread drift. I was the grocery store owner and member of the barber shop quartet (Mr. Dunlop in the video) when we did The Music Man in high school. I just went and saw it at one of our local high schools here in Plano as well.

Back on topic, these types of 'clubs' are notorious for back room gambling and other illicit activity, even amongst seniors. There may be some that are above board, but my past observations of a few of these types of venues in my home town has been they were fronts for less than legal functions and unsavory characters were the majority of the patrons.

[ELB]

Heh. I suspect Gary is waaaayyyy past the stage of pool tables sneaking into town. If all the Senior Social Club does is sell unlicensed alcohol and run poker games for senior citizens and fail to file state paperwork, it is probably one of the more benign, nay upstanding, establishments in Gary.

[ELB]

Update:

The Chicago man arrested at a shooting in a Midtown social club Wednesday night is charged with 10 felony counts...Kendell Reed, 23, is on parole for a 2011 Illinois conviction for armed robbery. He is being held without bail at the Lake County Jail.

...

E.C. Robinson, 65, a Gary resident, was shot but managed to defend himself and others with his own gun. "He shot him twice, that is when E.C. started shooting back," said one witness.

...

The suspect hid in the bathroom after he was shot until police came and took him into custody.

...

Sturgis [club owner] said he hopes the shooting will send a message to the younger people who want to cause trouble from Chicago.


"We're in Indiana, they [are] from Illinois, they don't know people got permits to carry guns, so bang bang, that is what happened," Sturgis said.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?id=9430380" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/lake/ ... oting.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;