In the early morning hours of September 7, 2013, a burst of gunfire shattered the pre-dawn quiet in the typically peaceful Miller Beach area of Gary, Indiana, leaving a scene of chaos and tragedy. When the shooting stopped, two lives were extinguished, and four others were left wounded. One of the deceased was 18-year-old DaVaughn Pitts, a Black male from Gary.
A large group had gathered outside a residence in the 9300 block of Sunrise when the shooting erupted around 4 a.m.
DaVaughn Pitts was struck by the gunfire and was rushed to the Methodist Hospitals Northlake campus, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead shortly before 5 a.m. Also killed in the incident was 32-year-old Vincent Wainwright, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators believe the tragic shooting was not a random act of violence but stemmed from an earlier altercation. According to the Gary Police Chief at the time, Wainwright and others had been involved in an argument with a group from the city's Aetna section at a local establishment known as Murphy's House of Pain on U.S. 12 before the shooting occurred.
In the immediate aftermath of the deadly shooting, police took one man into custody for questioning. Additionally, two individuals who were present at the scene and became uncooperative and abusive toward officers were also arrested and held at the Gary city lockup. Despite these initial detentions, information regarding any subsequent arrests, formal charges, or convictions in the murders of DaVaughn Pitts and Vincent Wainwright has not been publicly detailed. The investigation into the double homicide continued as authorities sought to bring those responsible to justice.
