Five Wounded in Senior Citizen Club Shootout

Gary police say shootings were the result of an attempted robbery

Five men ranging in age from 23 to 76 were wounded late Wednesday in an exchange of gunfire resulting from an apparent robbery attempt at a senior citizens' club in Gary, Ind.

The incident unfolded at about 11:30 p.m. at the Safe & Sound Senior Citizens' Social Club, located at 2200 N. Broadway, in Gary, when a man entered and began firing. Officers responding to a call of shots fired entered the building and found patrons screaming and four people with gunshot wounds.

The alleged gunman, Kendell Reed from Chicago, was also wounded when someone inside the club retaliated.

"Someone from inside the social club returned fire and shot the suspect, who is 23 years old," Gary Police Department spokeswoman Gabrielle King told reporters early Thursday morning."When he came in he announced, told everybody to get on the floor and he had a gun. He was armed with a weapon. That sounds like the fruits of a robbery."

The wounded club patrons include E.C. Robinson, 65, and Nathaniel Jones, 76, both from Gary; Stevie Coleman, 43, of East Chicago; and Will Harris, 45, of Chicago. All were hospitalized but information about their conditions was not available as of 5 a.m.

Police in Gary are familiar with the club. Thirteen people, ranging in age from 50 to 87 years old, including the club's owner, were arrested in 2011 after a raid at the venue. Authorities at the time said illegal gambling was taking place inside and alcohol was being served without a license.

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