Hammond gas station shooting leaves man critical days after vote on overnight closures was tabled

HAMMOND, Ind. — A man is in critical condition following a shooting Wednesday night at a gas station in Hammond.

The shooting is the latest in a series of crime-related events at Hammond-area gas stations. It also comes days after councilmembers in Hammond declined to vote on a proposed ordinance that would have closed gas stations overnight in an effort to combat violent crime.

Around 9:15 p.m. July 26, Hammond police responded to the Speedway gas station in the 6800 block of Calumet Ave. Arriving officers located a 22-year-old male suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach.

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According to police, the victim met with another person at the gas station before the shooting.

No one is in custody. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (219) 852–2982.

The ordinance would have mandated the closure of any gas station in city limits between midnight and 5 a.m. Gas stations within city limits would have been able to petition for an exception, however. Hammond Mayor Thomas M. McDermott Jr. backed the ordinance.

Council members tabled the vote, opting for additional information and data before deciding.

A date for a vote has yet to be announced.