Late-Night Gunfire Claims Woman’s Life; Hammond Man Charged
A Hammond man has been charged with murder following a fatal shooting that occurred in the early morning hours of July 7, 2025, near the intersection of Maywood Avenue and State Street.
According to court documents, officers arrived on scene shortly after 1:30 a.m. and located a 30-year-old woman lying on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the upper torso. She was transported to Munster Community Hospital and later airlifted to the University of Chicago, where she was pronounced dead at 5:09 a.m. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified her as Danielle Ellis, of Hammond.
Police recovered a blue Divvy bicycle and two spent rifle casings near the 900 block of State Street. Surveillance footage showed an individual on a bicycle followed closely by another person on foot heading toward the shooting location. Moments after two gunshots were heard, a male was seen running through a nearby alley in the direction of the street where the bicycle was later found.
Detectives later identified Jack Andrew Marcardo as the individual who had been riding the bicycle that night. A witness reported that Marcardo had been armed with an AR-style rifle concealed in his waistband shortly before the incident. Additional statements and video evidence placed Marcardo in the immediate area of the shooting.
On July 8, police executed a search warrant at a residence on State Street, where Marcardo was taken into custody. The rifle was not located during the search. Marcardo refused to speak with investigators and declined to waive his rights during a subsequent interview.
Charge filed July 9, 2025:
• Murder
