GARY | A 35-year-old Portage man on parole for the fatal 1997 shooting of a pregnant woman at a Gary homecoming game was killed early Tuesday in a single-car crash in Gary.
Gustavo McQuay, of the 3100 block of Cooley Street, was pronounced dead at 12:30 a.m., according to the Lake County coroner's office.
The cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma suffered in a motor vehicle accident. Gary police Cpl. Gabrielle King said speed was a factor in the crash.
Police said McQuay was traveling north on Georgia Street when he drove off the road and struck a fence, causing the vehicle to flip multiple times. McQuay, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene, according to police reports.
A passenger in the vehicle was wearing his seat belt and was transported to a hospital, police said.
McQuay was released to the Gary Parole District on July 23, about seven weeks before the fatal crash, according to the Indiana Department of Correction.
McQuay was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and attempted voluntary manslaughter after firing into the crowd Oct. 10, 1997, at a Lew Wallace High School homecoming game. The shooting left a pregnant Gary woman, 18-year-old Kellie Franklin, dead and injured another teen boy and girl.
During his trial, witnesses said McQuay, a former Lew Wallace student, was a member of the Vice Lords and was shooting at rival Gangster Disciples in the crowd at the game.
The shooting spread fear throughout the city and led some school officials in Northwest Indiana to question the safety of playing against Lew Wallace at both home and away games. Cheerleaders from Crown Point High School chose not to attend a game against Lew Wallace two weeks after the shooting.
Gary and school officials ramped up police presence and security at games, and the Indiana High School Athletic Association agreed to move up the start of sectional games to earlier in the day in an effort to increase safety.
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