June 13 (UPI) — At least two people were killed and four others were injured in a shooting that erupted over the weekend at an Indiana nightclub, authorities said as the nation grapples with how to confront gun violence following several high-profile shootings in the past few weeks.
Police said officers responded to a call about shots fired before 2 a.m. Sunday at Playo’s Nightclub in the 1700 block of Grant Street in the city of Gary, which is near the Indiana border with Illinois.
Six shooting victims were transported to local hospitals where two were later pronounced dead.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Jonte Dorsey, 34, of Joliet, Ill., and Jah’Nice Quinn, 26, of Merrillville, Ind.
Of those wounded, one was listed in critical condition while the other three suffered from non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The cause of the shooting was unclear and no arrests have yet been made.
It is not the first time there has been a fatal shooting at the location, and Gary Mayor Jerome Price ordered its temporary but immediate closure on Sunday.
“On behalf of the city of Gary, we are praying for the families and friends of the two people who lost their lives at Playo’s nightclub on Saturday night,” Price said in a statement. “I cannot imagine the pain you’re feeling, and I truly wish I could offer words to comfort you.”
The shooting occurred as bipartisan members of the Senate agreed on gun legislation that includes gun restrictions and investments in mental health and school security.
The attention to gun violence is in reaction to a spate of high-profile shootings nationwide that have left scores dead, including 19 students and two teachers who were killed in a shooting late last month at a Texas elementary school.
According to The Gun Violence Archive, which is a non-profit organization that tallies gun-related incidents in the United States, there have 260 mass shootings in the country this year.
“It is well beyond time our national leaders pass common sense, real legislation that curbs easy access to firearms,” Price said.
