Shawn Rhyon Pewitt, a 39-year-old male, was fatally shot on September 8, 2021, in Gary, Indiana. The incident occurred in an apartment in the 2500 block of Connecticut Street. Pewitt, an ironworker and father, had gone to the apartment of Antonio West, 54, to get his girlfriend.
An altercation broke out between the two men, which resulted in West shooting Pewitt once in the chest. Emergency services transported Pewitt to Methodist Hospital Northlake, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators from the Lake County Metro Homicide Unit and the Gary Police Department identified West as the suspect. On September 21, 2021, detectives located West in a vehicle near 15th Avenue and took him into custody without incident.
West was charged with murder and a firearm enhancement. During the trial, it was revealed that West had been supplying drugs to Pewitt's girlfriend and had coerced her into sexual acts as payment. The prosecution argued that West's actions were deliberate, while the defense contended the evidence was not as clear-cut. Ultimately, a jury convicted Antonio West of murder. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison, with 60 years for the murder charge and an additional 15 years for the use of a firearm in the commission of the offense.
