In a tragic turn of events stemming from a family business dispute, 63-year-old Mario Martinez of Portage, Indiana, was fatally shot on March 8, 2015, in Munster. A male, Martinez was discovered with a gunshot wound to his head in the 8600 block of Linden Avenue. He was transported to Community Hospital in Munster, where he was pronounced dead.
Responding to a call of shots fired at approximately 6:10 p.m., Munster police arrived to find a grim scene.
Lying in the street next to his vehicle was Mario Martinez. Nearby, in a snowbank, officers found his brother-in-law, Theodore Surma of Munster, with a gunshot wound to the chest and a semi-automatic pistol beside him. Surma was also taken to Community Hospital, where he, too, was pronounced dead.
The subsequent investigation by the Munster police led to the conclusion that the incident was a murder-suicide. It is believed that Surma shot Martinez before turning the gun on himself. Authorities indicated that the two men, who were brothers-in-law, were involved in a business venture together and were leaving a residence just before the shooting occurred. The dispute is thought to have been related to their business dealings.
Due to the nature of the incident, with the sole suspect also being deceased, no arrests were made in the case. Law enforcement officials assured the public that it was a domestic matter and that there was no ongoing threat to the community. The investigation did not identify any other suspects. The case was closed following the determination of a murder-suicide.
