In the quiet, early morning hours of September 7, 2013, in Gary, Indiana, a dispute that began at a local establishment tragically escalated, leaving two men dead and a community shaken. Among the victims was 31-year-old Vincent Eugene 'Bugsy' Wainwright-Allen, a lifelong resident of the city. The other deceased victim was 18-year-old DaVaughn Pitts, who was identified as a Black/African American male.
The events of that fateful night began with an argument at Murphy's House of Pain on
U.S. 12, involving Wainwright, Pitts, and others with a group from the Aetna section of the city. Later, outside a home in the 9300 block of Sunrise Boulevard in the Miller Beach area, the disagreement erupted into gunfire. When the shooting stopped, Vincent Wainwright was pronounced dead at the scene. DaVaughn Pitts was rushed to Methodist Hospitals Northlake campus, where he succumbed to his injuries. Four other individuals were also wounded in the violent outbreak.
In the immediate aftermath, the Gary Police Department began an intensive investigation into the double homicide. Authorities took one man into custody for questioning and detained two witnesses who were reportedly uncooperative with officers at the scene. The area, usually described as quiet by law enforcement, was suddenly the epicenter of a complex and tragic investigation.
Despite the initial arrests for questioning, information regarding formal charges, the identification of a suspect or suspects, and any subsequent trial or conviction in the deaths of Vincent Wainwright and DaVaughn Pitts has not been made publicly available in the years that have followed. The case remains a painful memory for the families and a stark reminder of the devastating impact of gun violence. Vincent Wainwright-Allen, a graduate of Wirt High School and a man who had been employed by the Lake County Juvenile Center and ran his own lawn care service, was survived by his daughter, parents, and several siblings.
