GARY, Ind. — A 34-year-old Gary man was killed Tuesday night in a fatal shooting at a neighborhood bar, with police moving quickly to apprehend the suspected gunman.
Around 9:30 p.m. on August 19, officers responded to reports of shots fired at the Thumbs Up Bar, located at 620 S. Lake Street. Upon arrival, Gary Police found the victim, identified as Robert Gaskin, collapsed outside the business. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Gary Fire Department EMS.
Investigators say the suspect entered the bar and exchanged brief words with Gaskin before firing multiple shots. Witnesses provided a detailed description that led police to swiftly locate and arrest the suspect nearby. Authorities have emphasized that this was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office confirmed Gaskin’s death at 10:02 p.m. and later ruled it a homicide following a forensic autopsy at the Lake County Forensic Center in Crown Point.
The case remains under investigation with the cooperation of several agencies, including the Gary Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigators, Gary Fire Department, and the Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force. Formal charges against the suspect are expected to be filed.
Gary Police extended condolences to Gaskin’s family and expressed gratitude to community members whose cooperation led to the quick arrest.