What happened
A 41-year-old man was fatally shot outside Euclid Liquors in East Chicago late on Saturday night, September 12, 2026, according to ABC7 Chicago[1]. The Lake County Coroner's Office ruled the death a homicide following an autopsy on September 15. This account is based on ABC7 Chicago's September 17 report, and the investigation is ongoing.
The Lake County Coroner's Office and Jones's family identified him as Brent Jones, 41. His cousin, Maria Parris, described Jones to ABC7 Chicago as an innocent bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
No suspect had been identified or charged as of the September 17 report. The East Chicago Police Department and the Lake County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Task Force are investigating. No source has published where Jones died, whether he was transported, or further details about the circumstances of the shooting.
What Should Accident Victims Do Next?
This section provides general information about Indiana law after a violent act on commercial property. It does not state a conclusion about this case, and nothing published suggests any failure by the business.
When a person is killed by a third party's criminal act, the criminal case and any civil claim are separate. A civil claim against the person who caused the death does not depend on an arrest or conviction, although that person may not be a practical source of recovery.
Indiana law also recognizes a potential claim in limited circumstances when a criminal act on commercial property was reasonably foreseeable and the owner or operator failed to take reasonable protective steps. A premises liability claim may depend on evidence about the property's history, lighting, security, and prior incidents. None of those facts has been publicly reported here.
Families can request the police report and coroner's report and preserve available photographs and witness names. Surveillance video may be overwritten, so a timely preservation request can matter. Delventhal Law Office also explains why preserving evidence matters in an injury claim, although every case depends on its own facts.
Why Location Matters in Indiana Injury Claims
The shooting happened outside a business in East Chicago, in Lake County. The East Chicago Police Department and the Lake County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Task Force are the investigating agencies. A civil claim connected to the death would ordinarily be brought in the appropriate Lake County court.
An adult wrongful death claim is brought by the estate's personal representative under Ind. Code 34-23-1-1. Ind. Code 34-23-1-2 governs the death of an adult without dependents. These claims generally must be filed within two years under Ind. Code 34-11-2-4. For a September 12, 2026 death, that deadline falls on or about September 12, 2028. Families can review additional information about Indiana wrongful death claims.
Because the property is a licensed liquor retailer, some readers may wonder about Indiana's dram shop statute, Ind. Code 7.1-5-10-15.5. That law concerns furnishing alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person who then causes harm. Nothing published connects alcohol service to this shooting, so there is no reported basis to apply that statute here.
Indiana's Comparative Fault Act, Ind. Code 34-51-2-6, generally bars recovery when an injured person's fault is greater than 50 percent. Otherwise, the recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault. Fault cannot be determined from the limited public facts reported in this case.
How Delventhal Law Office Can Help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm represents people harmed by another party's carelessness, including families dealing with wrongful death. Chad Delventhal can explain what a wrongful death or premises liability claim requires, identify evidence that should be preserved, and discuss the deadlines that may apply.
The office is in Fort Wayne and serves clients across Indiana. Families can request a free case evaluation to discuss their circumstances and make an informed decision.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
