Hammond Man Charged In Overnight Shooting In Portage
On February 11th, 2020 at approximately 9:59p.m. officers of the Portage Police Department responded to a 911 call from the 5200 block of Lundy Avenue regarding a report of a man asking for help on the front porch of a house stating that he had been shot, according to Sgt. Rob Maynard of The Portage Police. Upon arrival the victim was identified as a 21 year old male from Gary, IN. The victim was able to provide responding officers with a possible name of the person who shot him but not an exact location where the shooting occurred. The victim further advised officers that the suspect was armed with two pistols and was in the area still chasing him, Maynard said.
Officers established a perimeter and with the assistance of a K9 unit began a search. The scene of the shooting was discovered to be on the front porch of a residence in the 5300 block of Lundy Avenue. Contact was made with the occupants of the home and three persons (a female homeowner, a male resident, and the suspected shooter) voluntarily came out.
All three subjects from the residence were transported to the Portage Police Department for further interview. The shooter has been identified as Zachary T. Marciniec (24 years old) of Hammond, IN. Marciniec has been charged with aggravated battery a level 3 felony and intimidation a level 5 felony. The second male subject from the house was identified as Lawrence J. Fowler (22 years old) of Portage and he was charged with intimidation a level 6 felony and battery A-misdemeanor. The female was released without charges. Both male arrestees were transported to the Porter County Jail.
It appears a dispute over money was the motive for the shooting. The victim was transported to a South Bend trauma center with serious injuries but is expected to survive. This is an isolated incident between parties who knew each other and there is no known ongoing threat to the community, Maynard emphasized.
The shooter is a gunsmith in Hammond Indiana. <– That is public knowledge.
Anytime their is a shooter or someone willing to use a weapon to hurt someone is a
cause for concern to the public.