EAST CHICAGO | A 54-year-old East Chicago man faces a murder charge in the Saturday night shooting death of a 35-year-old Gary man, East Chicago police say.

Hershel Lee Kirkwood shot Lawrence Powell in the chest with a .380-caliber handgun after an argument about 9 p.m. Saturday on Butternut Street in East Chicago, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Monday. East Chicago Police Chief Angelo Machuca Jr. said in a news release that Kirkwood had been charged with murder. Efforts to contact the Lake County prosecutor's office Monday night were unsuccessful.

According to the affidavit:

Witnesses saw Kirkwood argue with Powell's friends. A man told Kirkwood the man had a baby with Kirkwood's youngest daughter. Kirkwood menaced people with his handgun, tussled with a man, then left. Powell later was walking between houses when a man exited a vehicle and started "talking crazy." Kirkwood exited a house, walked down the street and fired a shot. Witnesses described Kirkwood holding the gun with his right hand, then clearing the spent bullet casing from the gun with his left.

Powell ran, then fell in the street.

Another witness said Powell approached a man, said "what's up?" and then was shot.

Police found the pistol in the same house at which they found Kirkwood. Investigators found gun powder residue on Kirkwood's fingertips.

Family members said Sunday that Powell -- the father of a 1-year-old girl -- played basketball before he tried to break up a fight and was shot.