The fatal shooting Saturday night at a store in a strip mall near the Interstate 65 and Indiana 2 interchange in unincorporated Lowell is believed to have started with a domestic argument, police said.
Preliminary information indicates the argument between a man and his girlfriend turned physical, according to a Sunday release from Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. The couple was at Karmic Sunshine, an antiques and accessories shop at 2996 W. 181st Ave.
A 56-year-old woman was shot and died at the scene. Her 62-year-old boyfriend, the suspected shooter, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. The incident is still under investigation.
Detectives have learned that the shooting suspect and the owner of the antiques store were living in a trailer behind the store, according to the release.
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The daughter of the woman who died, 24, was also present during the dispute and tried to escape but was shot in the arm, according to the release. She was transported to a Chicago hospital where she was listed as stable.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office is in the process of contacting the family of the suspected shooter and will release his identity and the identity of the deceased female victim at a later time.
The husband and young child of the 24-year-old woman who survived the shooting were also present but were not injured, police said.
Shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday, Indiana State Police troopers and Lake County Sheriff’s Department officers responded to a call at Karmic Sunshine, police have said.
At 7:37 p.m., D.W.’s Junction 2-65, a live country music venue located at 2971 E. 181st Place, posted on Facebook dissuading anyone planning on stopping by as “There’s an active shooter between here and the truck stops. People have been shot and we are on lockdown.”
Around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, the venue posted an update, confirming that there had been an active shooter Saturday night:
“I wanna thank the local state and county police for their fast arrival. I want to thank my staff and the customers that were locked inside for staying calm,” the post said.
“Some people have complained in the past that we have armed security at dWs that we don’t need it, but in the world today you never know and I wanna thank everybody for their understanding DW.”