Overview
- A NIPSCO vehicle was struck by gunfire Friday night while crews were restoring power in Gary and the company paused in-city restoration to assess safety.
- No injuries were reported and video shared with reporters appears to show holes in the vehicle’s rear window and marks on the passenger side.
- Crews resumed work around 5 p.m. Saturday after Gary officials coordinated with local police and the Indiana State Police and state troopers were deployed to protect restoration teams.
- NIPSCO says the storms caused unprecedented damage, with peak outages above 300,000 customers and about 158,000 still without power by Saturday, including more than 33,000 in Gary.
- The shooting underscores how threats to worker safety can delay repairs and may prompt longer security escorts, which could slow restoration in hard-hit neighborhoods and raise tensions for residents who have been without power for days.