A 17-year-old Hammond boy faces a murder charge in a November slaying during an alleged drug deal, records show.
The alleged shooter is also charged with dealing in a schedule V controlled substance, a Level 4 felony, in the Nov. 16 death of Jakayo Clark, 18, of Hammond.
Investigators suspected Clark was jealous that the shooter was in a relationship with a girl, documents state. The Post-Tribune is not naming the charged teen, since he is a minor. He is in custody, held without bail.
He appears to be the first person charged in the case.
Hammond Police Detective Jason Schafbuch wrote officers responded at 11 p.m. Nov. 16 to the alley behind Mimi Market, on the 7300 block of Columbia Avenue, after several 911 callers reported gunshots.
The teen was in an empty lot. He was taken to the hospital for “life-threatening” injuries after he was shot in the leg and left abdomen.
Police found Clark lying in the grass nearby. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy showed he was shot three times and died from a gunshot wound to his torso. His death was ruled a homicide.
Cops found a bottle of promethazine – “lean” – at the scene. They also found a gun in the alley. They recovered 21 casings of three calibers – meaning three guns were used.
Police pulled several text conversations from both the shooter and Clark’s phones. Before the shooting, Clark allegedly messaged the girl to tell her he would do something to the shooter, then run to her backyard, documents state.
The shooter told investigators in a phone interview that he agreed to sell “lean,” but didn’t think Clark would bring a friend. The teen tried to “play it cool.”
He claimed he wasn’t armed and the friend pulled out a gun and shot him in the stomach.
Later, police found a picture on the shooter’s Instagram that showed a gun with the same serial number as the recovered weapon at the scene.
The teen later did not come into the police station for an interview.
mcolias@post-trib.com
