An early Monday melee at a Hammond bar resulted in two people being wounded by gunfire and a car crash where the injured couple struck a light pole, according to police.
Hammond Police officers responded first to a report of a crash around 1:54 a.m., in which a silver Ford Fusion struck a light pole in the 2700 block of 165th Street, Hammond Police spokesman Lt. Richard Hoyda said in a release. When police arrived, however, there were no vehicles at the scene.
Officers were then sent to Flick’s Tap, 6400 Kennedy Ave., in the city’s Hessville section, where they learned there was a shooting earlier. Two couples that went into the bar allegedly became targets of patrons already there, according to Hoyda. One of the couples ran out to the Ford Fusion and tried to escape as at least one person followed them out and started shooting, police said. They ran into the pole as they were trying to flee the scene, police said.
The second couple also fled the bar and picked up the first couple upon seeing the crash. The second couple drove them to an area hospital for treatment, Hoyda said in the release. One victim, a 22-year-old woman from Olympia Fields, Ill., and a 27-year-old man from Chicago are believed to have suffered serious, but not life-threatening gunshot injuries, police said.
A black man in his 20s was identified as the possible shooter, Hoyda said. Attempts to reach representatives of Flick’s were unsuccessful.
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Anyone with information may contact Detective Sgt. Dan Bates at 219-852-2979.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.