Two shot on Borman Expressway; 4 in custody
Two people, including an 11-year-old girl, were shot in a Sept. 27 highway shooting that riddled a car with at least 20 bullets and struck at least two other cars, according to a release.
While a 16-month-old infant in the car was unharmed as his father shielded him and was struck, the 11-year-old was shot in the leg as she sat in the front passenger seat of a Kia Forte traveling west on Interstate 80/94 near Cline Avenue in Gary, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Four teens are in custody at the Lake County Jail in Crown Point.
Indiana State Police troopers responded to multiple 911 calls about a shooting on the highway about 5:25 p.m. Sept. 27, the affidavit states.
The woman driving the Forte told police shots came from a gold SUV shortly after she got on the highway. Her nephew in the back seat leaned over to cover his infant son and was struck by several bullets as occupants of the SUV fired rounds and rammed into their car, a probable cause affidavit states.
The 11-year-old and the man were taken to Methodist Hospital Northlake in Gary for treatment, documents said.
Naja Wilder, 18, from Richton Park, Illinois; as well as a 17-year-old from Park Forest, Illinois; a 17year-old from Sauk Village, Illinois; and a 16-year-old from Hammond each face four counts of attempted murder and three counts of criminal recklessness in Lake Superior Court, according to court documents.
Earlier in the day, at least one of the juveniles is alleged to have carjacked at gunpoint the gold SUV from a woman in Burnham, Illinois, documents said.
Witnesses described seeing the Forte and the gold SUV veering down the left shoulder of the Borman, documents said. At least one other car had its windshield shattered by a bullet and another had a bullet go through the trunk and a side mirror, the affidavit said.
The infant’s father recalls ducking and covering his son while taking several bullets to the lower legs, and telling the driver to “hit other vehicles if she needed to get away” from the shooters, the affidavit states.
The woman driving told police she saw someone in the gold SUV fire a shot toward her vehicle as it drove away, which struck the 11-year-old passenger in the leg, according to the affidavit.
After midnight, a man called 911 to report that he was tracking the gold SUV, documents said. The SUV pulled into an apartment complex at 19th Avenue and Burr Street in Gary and the man reported seeing four males leave the car and go into an apartment there, the affidavit states.
Officers with the Gary Police Department and Indiana State Police then went to the apartment and found the four young men alleged to have been in the gold SUV at the time of the shooting, as well as two semi-automatic handguns, an Uzie - style handgun and a .45 caliber silver handgun with a drum magazine, the affidavit states.
Numerous semi-automatic handgun casings were found inside the gold SUV, and two witnesses identified the silver handgun used in both the armed carjacking and the highway shooting, the affidavit said.
Wilder is being held without bond at the Lake County Jail, and was on probation or parole at the time of the incident, documents said. The three juveniles were arrested and are also being held on $200,000 bond, documents said.
Planetarium to host ‘Autumn Sky’
The Merrillville Community Planetarium will host “The Autumn Sky” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 199 East 70th Ave. The planetarium opens for seating 30 minutes prior to the show. No one will be admitted after the program begins. The gift shop will be open and, weather permitting, an outdoor observing session will be offered following the program. Seating is limited. Tickets are at 219-650-5486 or at www. mcpstars.org. Tickets will be sold at the door.
Bishop Noll Class of 2009 reunion
The Bishop Noll Class of 2009 will have its 10-year reunion from 6-10 p.m. Oct. 12 at Set ‘Em Up Lanes, 135 N. Broad St., Griffith. More information is with Cari Trevino at 708-224-1029 or ctrevino@loeb.com.
Scholarship application open
Aspiring Indiana teachers can apply for up to $30,000 in financial aid with the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship through the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. The scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year of college (up to $30,000 total) for top performing Hoosier students who commit to teaching in Indiana for five years after earning their degrees. To qualify, students must either graduate in the highest 20% of their high school class or earn a score in the top 20th percentile on the SAT or ACT. To continue earning the scholarship in college, students must earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA and complete at least 30 credit hours per year. Current college freshmen and sophomores are eligible for the scholarship, but priority will be given to high school students. Finalists will be selected by Jan. 10 to be interviewed in Indianapolis on March 14. Students selected to receive the scholarship will be notified by April 3. Application deadline is Nov. 30 at ScholarTrack.IN.gov. More information is at Learn MoreIndiana.org/Next Teacher.
Senior Center to host tech classes
An eight-week I Tech Teach You class will be offered beginning at 10 a.m., Oct. 9, at the Bonner Senior Center, 5800 Lexington Ave., Portage. Brittany Taylor, technology consultant and owner of I Tech Teach You, LLC, will teach the class. Those interested in participating in the class must be members of the Bonner Senior Center, a service of the Portage Township Trustee’s office. Membership in the center is open to any Portage Township resident age 55 and older for an annual donation of $10. Nonresidents, age 55 and older, may also join for a fee of $20 per year. The center offers a variety of services for seniors, including serving nutritious lunches each day to those 60 years and older for a $2 donation. Other activities include bingo, bunco, fitness classes, yoga, Zumba, dance, trips and transportation services. More information is at portagetrustee.org/bonnersenior-center or at 219-7621522.
Open registration at learning center
The Crown Point Adult Learning Center, an affiliate of the Center of Workforce Innovations, has open registration from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays inside the Crown Point Community Library at 122 N. Main St. for those who want to attain their high school equivalency diploma (GED) and learn to speak, read and write English. Skill training also is available in welding, certified nursing assistant, entry-level manufacturing and hospitality. More information is at 219314-9902.