On August 3, 2015, authorities in Gary, Indiana, responded to reports of a shooting near the intersection of 5th Avenue and Roosevelt Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered 44-year-old Alec Robert McCloud, a Black male, inside his vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency responders transported him to Methodist Hospital Northlake, where he was pronounced dead shortly after the incident.
A subsequent examination by the Lake County Coroner’s office confirmed that the fatal injuries included damage to his liver and aorta, ruling the death a homicide.
The investigation revealed that the violent encounter originated earlier that evening at a residence on Ellsworth Street. According to reports, McCloud had arrived at the home of Gentry Jackson, a 35-year-old man who was married to McCloud’s ex-wife. Witnesses, including Jackson's stepson, observed Jackson exiting the house with a firearm and discharging it at McCloud. In an attempt to flee the gunfire, the victim drove away from the scene but ultimately crashed his vehicle into a curb outside a nearby church, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Police arrested Jackson, charging him with murder in connection with the shooting. During the subsequent trial, the defense argued that the shooting was an act of self-defense, alleging that McCloud had pointed a weapon at the defendant. However, investigators testified that no weapon was recovered from McCloud’s vehicle. After deliberating for approximately five hours, the jury rejected the self-defense claim and returned a guilty verdict, convicting Jackson of murder for the fatal shooting.
