The African American male, sixty-four-year-old Kevin Lee Johnson, known affectionately to friends and family as 'KeKe,' was attending a social gathering on the evening of December 9, 2022, in Gary, Indiana. The event was taking place in a garage located in the 1100 block of East 19th Avenue, where attendees were drinking and socializing. As the night progressed, a heated argument erupted between Johnson and another man present at the get-together.
Witnesses reported that the verbal
dispute escalated into a physical altercation. Although bystanders initially attempted to separate the two men, the confrontation reignited. During the struggle, the aggressor allegedly overpowered Johnson, forcing him into a chair before fatally shooting him. The assailant then fled the scene in a gray Dodge Durango, leaving the local community in shock. Johnson was later pronounced dead, and his passing was mourned by his daughter, grandson, and extended family.
Law enforcement responded quickly to the incident, with witnesses providing a description of the shooter and his vehicle. Radio traffic alerted officers that the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous. Approximately one hour after the shooting, police in nearby Munster, Indiana, utilized license plate reader technology to track the suspect's vehicle as it traveled near Interstate 80 and Torrence Avenue in Illinois.
Officers initiated a traffic stop and successfully apprehended the driver, identified as fifty-eight-year-old Anthony E. Thomas, also known as 'Tony.' He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Calumet City Police Department. By the following day, December 10, 2022, Lake County authorities had secured murder charges against Thomas, who was held pending extradition back to Indiana. Legal proceedings continued into 2024, with jury selection for his trial commencing in July of that year.
