GARY, Ind. — Police say a storm-cleanup gathering on Louisiana Street ended with gunfire and a Jeep that nearly hit a neighbor. Kenneth Cunningham, 65, now faces attempted murder and other felony counts.
Key facts
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Suspect | Kenneth Cunningham, 65, Gary |
| Bond | $8,000 |
| Next hearing | Sept. 16 |
| Location | 700 block of Louisiana Street |
| When | Just after 8 p.m. Sept. 8 |
| Also charged | Two counts attempted battery; criminal recklessness |
The charges are accusations. Cunningham has not been convicted.
What police say happened
Officers answered a call to the 700 block of Louisiana Street just after 8 p.m. Sept. 8, the Post-Tribune reported. The victim told police a handful of men had gathered to drink and smoke while a tree-cutting crew worked after recent storms. Northwest Indiana saw widespread storm damage and cleanup work in the weeks before the confrontation. That context, in the victim’s statement, explains why people were outdoors on the block that evening.
He said Cunningham argued with his girlfriend, then grew angry when others — including the victim — told him to stop talking about her in derogatory terms, court records state.
Cunningham and the victim gave different accounts of what came next. Both agreed they argued. Cunningham alleged the victim punched him before he went back to the woman’s home for a gun, according to the affidavit summary. Who struck first is disputed and unproven. Region N3 is reporting both sides as they appear in the court file via the Post-Tribune.
Cunningham later told police he shot into the air toward an abandoned home. The victim said he tackled Cunningham, punched him, and took the gun. Cunningham then allegedly climbed into a blue Jeep and tried to run the man over, charges allege.
Physical evidence cited
- Tire tracks on at least three yards, the affidavit states — evidence investigators cited as consistent with a vehicle leaving the roadway during the alleged attempt to strike the victim
- Another neighbor took the keys from the Jeep, ending its movement before officers finished their on-scene work
- No gunshot injuries are described in the Post-Tribune summary of the charging papers
Investigators tied the attempted-murder count to the alleged shooting and the vehicle conduct, as reported. The outlet did not publish felony-level labels for each count beyond naming attempted murder, two attempted-battery counts, and criminal recklessness.
Charges (Post-Tribune)
- Attempted murder
- Attempted battery (two counts)
- Criminal recklessness
Bond sits at $8,000. The next hearing is Sept. 16 — the next public checkpoint for plea, counsel, and any bond review, based on the court schedule reported by the Post-Tribune.
Meredith Colias-Pete of the Post-Tribune reported the case Sept. 11 from Lake County court documents. Region N3 will update after the Sept. 16 hearing or if prosecutors amend the charges.
Photo credit
- Inline figures from Region N3 stock gallery / file (illustrative; not crime-scene originals unless noted)
- Photo: Driven0711 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Lake County Superior Courthouse in Gary. Exterior context only — Post-Tribune court-news wrap had no story-specific lead photo.