13-year-old boy killed, another wounded in Hammond shooting on Halloween

A person was arrested after two 13-year-old boys were shot, one of them fatally, on Halloween in northwest Indiana.

Thomas Delacruz and the other teen were shot around 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the 3600 block of 167th Street, near Phrommer Park in Hammond, according to police.

Delacruz was taken to St. Catherine Hospital in Hammond and pronounced dead, according to the Lake County coroner’s office, who identified the boy as an East Chicago resident.

The other boy was shot in his leg later released from a hospital, Hammond police spokesman Lt. Steven Kellogg said.

A person was taken in for questioning and remained in custody Tuesday morning, Kellogg said. No charges have been filed.

Additional details, including the circumstances of the shooting, were not released.

Trick-or-treating had officially ended in Hammond shortly before the shooting occurred, Kellogg said.

In a statement, Hammond police said the arrest was possible because of help from the community. “Our hearts go out to the families of these boys,” police said in the statement.

Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to call Det. Sgt. Chris Gootee at (219) 942-4900 or Det. Sgt. Shawn Ford at (219) 852-2998.