In the early morning hours of August 2, 2015, the life of 22-year-old Untonise Harper was cut short in a burst of violence in his hometown of Gary, Indiana. The fatal encounter unfolded in the parking lot of The Link Bar on Broadway, a scene that quickly transformed from a social gathering spot to the site of a homicide. A large fight reportedly erupted around 2:30 a.m., escalating dramatically when individuals involved in the altercation retrieved firearms and began shooting into the chaotic
crowd.
Amid the mayhem, Harper was struck by a gunshot. He was rushed to the Methodist Hospitals Northlake campus, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead at approximately 3:30 a.m. Another man, 21-year-old Myron Borders, also suffered a gunshot wound to the arm during the incident but was treated at the hospital and subsequently released. The shooting marked another grim statistic in a year that saw a significant rise in violent crime in the city.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the Lake County Metro Homicide Unit launched an investigation. Authorities announced that they had taken a person of interest into custody for questioning in connection with the shooting. However, despite this initial development, there have been no subsequent public announcements regarding formal charges or arrests being made in the death of Untonise Harper. The case, like many others in a city grappling with violence, left a family and community searching for answers and justice that have remained elusive.
