Gary Police Search for Shooter After Finding Guns, Drugs in House

Rickey O’Neal Smith Jr., 33, is charged with three felony counts of criminal recklessness and remains at large, police said

Gary police seized weapons, marijuana and cash while executing a search warrant at the home of a man wanted for his involvement in a shooting Tuesday in northwest Indiana.

Police raided the home of Rickey O’Neal Smith Jr., 33, in the 300 block of Matthews Street and found more than $7,800 in cash, 355 grams of marijuana and a large gun safe, according to a statement from Gary police. Inside the gun safe, police discovered three shotguns, three semi-automatic, assault-style rifles and six handguns, as well as ammunition and high capacity magazines.

The street value of the marijuana was estimated at $6,000, police said.

Authorities raided the house while investigating a shooting that happened about 9:55 a.m. Tuesday in the 400 block of Burr Street, police said. Officers found an occupied house that was shot several times and a crashed, unoccupied vehicle nearby with gunshot damage.

Smith was driving the vehicle at the time of the shooting and was taken to an area hospital by a friend with a gunshot wound to the head that he suffered during the shooting, police said.

Smith was later transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, according to Cpl. Douglas Drummond of the Gary Police Department. Authorities later determined Smith was involved in the shooting, but were not able to take him into custody and said he is currently at large.

Smith was charged Wednesday with three felony counts of criminal recklessness for firing at the occupied residence.

Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at (219) 881-1210 or the department’s tip line at 1-866-CRIME-GP.

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