Gary man charged in Friday shooting
* Charges expected today against second suspect in different shooting.
GARY -- The witnesses who saw Tony Johnson shot and killed late Friday tell a very different story than the one offered by suspect Steve Lonzo.
Lonzo, 27, of Gary was charged Monday with murder after admitting he "got fed up" with Johnson and "shot him in the head," the probable cause affidavit states.
Johnson, 39, of 965 Lane St., was pronounced dead shortly before midnight in the 1000 block of New Hampshire Street in Aetna. Investigators said he was shot at point-blank range, the affidavit states.
Friends who were with Johnson said he was working on the car in the street after it stalled, laughing and talking with them when Lonzo shot Johnson, then drove away. Witnesses heard no arguing between the two men, the affidavit states.
Lonzo told Detective Cpl. Edward Gonzalez he heard Johnson "running off at the mouth talkin' about what he would do to me," when he became angry and the two men started pushing each other. Lonzo claimed he grabbed the victim's gun and shot him with it, but Gonzalez recovered Johnson's gun from his belt later.
Johnson was the first of two homicides during the weekend.
The suspect in the second shooting death, Louis Cole, 29, was wounded and remains under police guard at The Methodist Hospitals in Merrillville pending charges expected to be filed today.
Witnesses told police Cole and Darritt Brown, 25, were arguing in the street in the 2200 block of Carver about 3 a.m. Sunday when Cole started shooting. Brown returned fire and struck Cole in the arm and face. Brown collapsed and died in the road, where the fire department was summoned later that morning to wash away the blood from the pavement.