A Gary man is on trial for allegedly killing a carjacker.
Rashad Thompson, 38, is charged with murder, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, unlawful carrying of a handgun, two counts of felony dealing in marijuana, misdemeanor dealing in marijuana and a gun enhancement.
He has pleaded not guilty.
When Leroy McCambry stole a Jeep from an East 5th Avenue gas station in Gary, he unwittingly interrupted Thompson reselling marijuana edibles inside, court records allege. He ended up getting chased and shot on the road, flipping and wrecking a home’s garage on the city’s west side two miles away.
Deputy Prosecutor Keith Anderson said Monday in opening statements that Thompson may have thought it was a “joke” when his silver Jeep Commander went missing outside. But, then, he took matters into his own hands.
Defense lawyer Michael Campbell — representing Thompson with co-counsel Ferdinand Alvarez — told jurors Monday to look at the evidence, arguing there was no proof Rashad Thompson was at the crash scene, caused the accident by shooting McCambry, or killed him.
McCambry, 22, of Chicago, was found fatally shot in the torso in the vehicle under a pile of debris on the 300 block of Hayes Street. He was pronounced dead at 8:10 p.m. and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the Lake County Coroner’s Office.
Thompson’s brother Maurice, the alleged accomplice, was charged with murder in May 2024. However, prosecutors filed to dismiss his case on Jan. 29, saying they couldn’t prove it.
The trial continues this week. The case is before Senior Judge Kathleen Lang, filling in for Lake Superior Judge Salvador Vasquez.
