EAST CHICAGO | An East Chicago man has been charged in the shooting death of a fellow city resident in what authorities described as a retaliation crime.
Rafael Delrio, 37, of East Chicago was charged with one count of manslaughter Tuesday in the Sunday night shooting death of Hector Lopez-Ramirez, 37, according to city spokesman Damian Rico.
Rico said Lopez-Ramirez allegedly shot Delrio's brother in the neck, landing him in the hospital. Delrio allegedly shot Lopez-Ramirez at 11 p.m. Sunday at W. 148th Street and Olcott Avenue in retaliation for the earlier shooting, Rico said.
Lopez-Ramirez resided in the 4700 block of Tod Avenue. A block address for Delrio was not available from Rico Tuesday afternoon.
"It is very sad to see that guns have taken the place of fist fights in conflicts," East Chicago Police Chief Angelo Machuca said through a statement by Rico Tuesday afternoon. "I will make sure anybody who has taken the law into their own hands will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
