In a tragic turn of events on November 13, 2021, 41-year-old Degerie Scott of Gary, Indiana, was shot and killed. The shooting occurred outside Saints Monica and Luke Catholic Church in Gary, where Scott was attending a funeral luncheon for his brother, 44-year-old Chester Scott, who had recently died in a car crash. The family had just begun to eat when a gunman opened fire on the crowd of mourners.
Scott was struck by the gunfire and was transported to Methodist Northlake hospital,
where he succumbed to his injuries approximately 30 minutes later. A second man, a 41-year-old from Merrillville, was also wounded in the shooting but was reported to be in stable condition. The incident, which took place around 2:19 PM in the 600 block of Rhode Island Street, left the community and local officials in shock.
According to police, the suspect, described as a light-skinned Black male, walked up to the crowd and began shooting. It was not immediately clear if the shooting was a targeted or random act of violence. After the shooting, the gunman fled the scene on foot and has not been apprehended. The Lake County Metro Homicide Unit is actively investigating the case, but as of now, no arrests have been made. Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward to assist in the investigation and bring justice to the grieving family.
