Chicago man first to face charges for shootout near Hammond birthday party

A Chicago man is the first to face charges in connection with a deadly shootout outside a Sept. 25 birthday party at a Hammond bar.

Byron R. Emory, of the 6700 block of Parry Ave., was charged in Lake Superior Court on Nov. 18 with murder and three counts of attempted murder. If convicted, a murder charge carries a 45- to 65-year penalty under Indiana law.

He is not in custody, ordered held without bail. Five men are implicated in court documents — four who were in a vehicle and one at the party. Court records identify everyone except an alleged getaway driver. The Post-Tribune is not identifying them until they are formally charged in public filings.

Hammond police were called around 1:40 a.m.

Sept. 25 for a report of shots fired at a private party at Serenity Lounge, located in the 6200 block of Kennedy Avenue, spokesman Lt. Steve Kellogg said previously.

Officers found Brian Leonard, 29, of Chicago, and three others nearby shot “multiple” times, charges state. Leonard was pronounced dead at 2:45 a.m. at the hospital, according to the Lake County coroner’s office. His death was ruled a homicide.

Witnesses said an argument escalated between two women at a birthday party inside the Serenity Lounge, with some of the 40-person crowd going outside. Then, shots rang out, according to the affidavit. Shortly after, a “(Chevy) Suburban-type” vehicle sped off, heading south on Kennedy, documents state.

Security footage showed a white Ford Expedition parked across the street just before 1 a.m. About 45 minutes later, a man got out off the passenger side and pulled out a gun. Two other men, including Emory got out of the backseat.

The video showed the three men, clad in hooded sweatshirts, opening fire at the crowd. Some in the crowd appeared to fire back. The gunfire appeared to last 10 minutes before the three men ran back to the SUV and fled.

Investigators discovered the Expedition was rented by the front passenger in Indianapolis. After the rental company reported it stolen, an Illinois State Trooper tried to pull the driver over on Interstate 90 near Madison Street in Chicago. Other troopers joined the pursuit, before the driver crashed and fled on foot, charges state. The vehicle was towed to Hammond for processing.

A search warrant was obtained for cell phones inside. It put the front passenger near Serenity Lounge around midnight, the affidavit states. It stayed in the area for about two hours before it was last detected around 2:13 a.m. in the 7000 block of Morgan Avenue in Chicago, charges state.

Emory and the front passenger were both members of the “Cash Money Gang” in Chicago’s Englewood section, associated with the Gangster Disciples, according to court documents.

Emory’s cellphone data disappeared for about three hours around the time of the shooting, court documents state. Before and afterward, the cell data places him with the passenger, the affidavit states