Gary teen questioned in World of Skates shooting

GARY | A 17-year-old Gary resident is being questioned as a person of interest in last week's shooting that injured eight teenagers outside World of Skates, Gary police announced during a Thursday news conference at City Hall.

The teen is being held at Lake County Jail in Crown Point on unrelated felony weapons charges, Police Chief Gary Carter said. Bail has been denied.

Carter said the suspect was identified by community members who came forward with information.

Although he gave no specifics, Carter said, "People are stepping forward. They're tired. When you get tired, you have to stand up."

Tips from the community also led police to a rifle that Carter said may be linked to the crimes. He would not say how the link was made or identify the kind of rifle discovered. Gary police are checking the ballistics to see if shell casings found at the scene match the rifle.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are helping with the investigation, he said.

Carter said he didn't know whether the shooting was gang-related.

"We don't know why," he said.

Gary police continue to investigate the gunfire that occurred about 11:45 p.m. March 5 at the Commons Shopping Center on the city's West Side near Fifth Avenue and Clark Road. A concert at the skating rink was abruptly canceled because of a fight that broke out during the performance. The skating rink's management shut down the building, and hundreds of people from the rink and nearby Posh Lounge were gathered in the mall parking lot.

The shooting took place minutes later in the parking lot. Police said eight teenagers from Gary and Merrillville were injured. Police and emergency medical workers came from Gary and surrounding communities to care for the wounded, locate witnesses and disperse the crowd.

"The good news is that no one died and everyone is out of the hospital," Gary Mayor Rudy Clay said during the news conference.

It's unclear whether the World of Skates will reopen. A source identified the owners of the skating rink as Michael and Monica Jones. The Joneses, who attended the news conference but did not speak, declined comment unless their attorney was present.

Andre Ivey, identified as a member of the World of Skates management, issued a statement Wednesday saying the rink would institute "new security methods to discourage individuals or groups from accessing the parking lot for reasons other than participation in our scheduled events."

   Clay said groups appearing at future concerts throughout the city would be checked by the Gary Police Department.

"Those who have adverse records (of violence during performances) should be vetted out," Clay said.