1 dead, 1 wounded after teenage trick-or-treaters shot on Halloween

CROWN POINT, Ind. (TCD) -- Two 13-year-old trick-or-treaters were reportedly shot on Halloween, one of whom died.

According to the Hammond Police Department, the incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. Several men reportedly opened fire on a group of trick-or-treaters in the 3600 block of 167th Street. The living victim was allegedly shot in the leg and was transported to the hospital for treatment before being released.

A person of interest has reportedly been taken into custody.

Thomas DeLaCruz Jr. of East Chicago was visiting his grandmother’s Hammond neighborhood for Halloween when he was fatally shot, the Northwest Indiana Times reports.

A 23-year-old man from Gary, later identified as Desmond Crews, was reportedly charged with murder and attempted murder on Wednesday. He told police he was given a gun and felt motivated to shoot at trick-or-treaters when people he was with opened fire, the Northwest Indiana Times cites from court documents.

Crews reportedly hasn’t entered pleas to the charges yet. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities look into other possible suspects.

According to the Northwest Indiana Times, court records say one of the trick-or-treaters wearing a clown mask spoke with a man wearing shorts about 30 to 45 minutes prior to the shooting, and he "threatened to get a .38 and shoot them."

The trick-or-treater in the clown mask reportedly told police that a silver car drove by in which five or six passengers had been staring at a group of teen trick-or-treaters. The teen in the clown mask told police that the car parked, the passengers got out, and one of them was the same man wearing shorts, the Northwest Indiana Times says. Another passenger from the car allegedly made a "shooting stance" as the trick-or-treater and his friends dashed away. Gunshots reportedly rang out as the trick-or-treaters ran.

Crews was allegedly seen a yellow sweatshirt running with a gun in before police captured him.

According to the Northwest Indiana Times, surveillance video obtained by authorities revealed that Crews threw what appeared to be a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and two magazines in a storage barrel.

Citing court documents, the Northwest Indiana Times says Crews allegedly told detectives he was one of the passengers in the silver car, and the man in shorts, "kept saying a group of people could have rolled him and someone was going to die tonight."

Crews came to the realization that the trick-or-treaters were "just little kids" as the man in shorts pointed out the kid in a clown mask, the Northwest Indiana Times reports.

According to the Northwest Indiana Times, court documents say Crews claimed to have shot over the children’s heads. However, he wasn’t certain that the bullets missed them after seeing a child collapse.

Lt. Steve Kellogg said the shooting took place around 30 minutes after Hammond’s trick-or-treating officially ended, adding, "While we are thankful for the community support, which led to the arrest of the person of interest, we are heartbroken that such an event could even occur. Our hearts go out to the families of these boys."

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