On the early morning of Sunday, June 12, 2022, a violent scene unfolded at a nightlife establishment in Gary, Indiana, claiming the life of 26-year-old female JahNice Quinn. The incident occurred at Playo’s Nightclub, located in the 1700 block of Grant Street, a venue that would subsequently become the focus of intense scrutiny by local officials.
At approximately 1:57 a.m., the sounds of celebration were abruptly shattered when gunfire erupted, sending patrons scrambling for safety amidst the chaos.
Witnesses in the vicinity described a terrifying barrage of bullets, with reports estimating between 30 and 50 shots fired during the disturbance. As police officers from the Gary Police Department and surrounding agencies descended on the scene to assist with crowd control and evacuation, they discovered the aftermath of the violence. Near the entryway of the club, officers found 34-year-old Jonte Dorsey unresponsive, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Inside the establishment, they located JahNice Quinn, who had also been struck by gunfire and was unresponsive.
Emergency medical personnel rushed both Quinn and Dorsey to Methodist Hospital Northlake in hopes of saving them, but despite these efforts, both were pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The violence left a significant toll on the community, as four other individuals were also wounded during the shooting. One of the surviving victims was listed in critical condition, while the others sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
In the wake of the tragedy, Gary Mayor Jerome Prince took decisive administrative action, ordering the immediate closure of Playo’s Nightclub. The mayor cited the severity of the incident and the loss of life as the primary reasons for the shutdown, utilizing city ordinances to cease the business's operations pending further review. At the time of the initial investigation, the Lake County Metro Homicide Unit had not publicly named any specific suspects or announced arrests directly linked to the murders of Quinn and Dorsey, leaving the case as an active and ongoing investigation.
