In the early hours of a Wednesday morning in Portage, Indiana, a verbal dispute between two coworkers in the parking lot of the Camaco manufacturing plant escalated into a fatal encounter. Lenell Jenkins, a 22-year-old Black man, was shot and killed on October 16, 2024, following an argument with a colleague. The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. as shifts were changing at the facility located on Ameriplex Drive.
Witnesses reported that the argument did not appear overly heated, making the sudden turn to violence all the more shocking.
Just minutes before he was killed, Jenkins had texted his fiancée, telling her everything was normal and that he was on his way home. He was looking forward to becoming a father, as his fiancée was pregnant with their son. Tragically, he never made it out of the parking lot. His coworker, 20-year-old Lupe McGee Jr. of Merrillville, produced a handgun and shot Jenkins multiple times before fleeing the scene. Jenkins, who was unarmed, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Portage Police quickly identified McGee as the suspect through witness statements and surveillance footage. He was apprehended at a residence in Merrillville approximately six hours after the shooting. A handgun believed to be the weapon used in the shooting was also recovered. McGee was subsequently charged with murder and is being held at the Porter County Jail without bond. The tragic event left Jenkins' family, including his mother and six siblings, devastated, turning their preparations for a baby shower into planning a funeral.
