Gunfire tore through the Salvation Army building in Michigan City last Saturday evening, damaging two windows and sending police scrambling to piece together what happened along a stretch of the city where an SUV was also left riddled with bullet holes. No one was hurt in either location, but the damage has left residents shaken and police still searching for answers.
Michigan City police officers received a report of multiple shots fired near Detroit and Pine streets at 6:11 p.m. on Oct. 17, according to LPHeraldDispatch.com. Officers believed the gunfire originated on Warren Street, and while investigating they located a 2018 Toyota RAV4 in the 100 block of East Warren Street with multiple bullet holes in its windshield and several windows shattered by the shots.
It was after finding the damaged SUV that officers discovered the Salvation Army of Michigan City had also sustained damage to two windows from the gunfire, per the same report. The shots struck a south-facing window of the building, leaving the nonprofit's facility marked by the same burst of violence that struck the RAV4 nearby.
Motive Still Unclear as Investigation Continues
Michigan City police said the motive behind the shooting remained under investigation as of Oct. 22. No injuries were reported at either the Detroit and Pine streets location or the scene on Warren Street where the RAV4 was found.
The shooting adds to a tense stretch for the city. The incident follows the shooting of LaPorte County Sheriff Deputy Jon Samuelson, who was shot on a Friday and remained in critical but stable condition. Three separate shootings involving Michigan City minors had occurred in the weeks before a May report, according to WSBT.
Community Responds With a Call for Peace
Before the October 17 shooting, the Salvation Army of Michigan City invited the community to come together for prayer following earlier violence, including the deputy shooting and shootings involving minors. Members gathered from 1:30 to 2 p.m. to pray for healing and peace in a city that has seen a sheriff's deputy shot and gunfire damage a charity's building, amid shootings involving minors.
