Terry Lee Dennie

Name and identity

Terry Lee Dennie was involved in a domestic violence incident in Gary.

Timeline

• Early Saturday morning — Four relatives and a fifth victim were shot inside the family home at 1176 Porter Ave; Terry Lee Dennie took his own life.
• Late Saturday morning — Elizabeth Walton was alert and talking at The Methodist Hospital Northlake Campus.

Background

The incident involved a family threatened by Terry Lee Dennie. Lake County Coroner David Pastrick said there had been a long history of mental illness and of threats and violence toward his family. Relatives described Dennie as repeatedly threatening to kill his immediate family.

Relatives said the family put him on medication, but he stopped taking it. Tyrone Walton, brother of Angela, and son of Elizabeth Walton, said Dennie threatened to kill “17 people just like at the Last Supper.” Louvinia Walton, Angela Walton-Scruggs’ sister, said Gary police found Terry Dennie in the alley near his grandmother’s home two years earlier armed with two shotguns and trying to burn the house down. Louvinia Walton said police shot him down with a beanbag and knocked him out, and that he was supposed to be locked up. She said the family went before a judge to have Dennie committed to a mental hospital, but he was released.

According to Pastrick, Elizabeth Walton recently had taken in Dennie despite his threats. Pastrick said many family members told her not to, but she took him in because he was her grandson. Louvinia Walton said Elizabeth was growing increasingly nervous about Dennie and his threats, and she said Elizabeth began asking different relatives to stay with her because she was so nervous. Louvinia also said the house had been ruled by fear in the past few years.

Elizabeth Walton’s condition was later described as serious; she played dead until she heard the final gunshot.

The offence

The bodies of Terry Lee Dennie, 20, and four victims were found inside the family’s home at 1176 Porter Ave. a little after 5 a.m. by Gary police. Five relatives were shot to death; a sixth family member was wounded.

Killed were:

• Angela Walton-Scruggs, 41
• LaDanna “Mandy” Dennie, 18, a senior at Gary Westside High School
• Walton-Scrugg’s 17-year-old son, Darion L. “Winslow” Dennie, a junior at Westside
• Isaiah “Peanut” Dennie, the 2-year-old son of LaDanna Dennie
• Terry Lee Dennie, 20, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound

A sixth family member, Elizabeth Walton, 81, was seriously wounded and later described as having played dead until she heard the final gunshot, which took the life of her 20-year-old grandson. She sustained gunshot wounds to her torso and right arm.

Pascrick said all six people were shot with a 9mm high-point firearm. He said Angela Walton-Scruggs died of a single gunshot wound to the head, as did Darion Dennie. He said LaDanna Dennie sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the body while trying to protect Isaiah; he said Isaiah also died of multiple gunshot wounds to the body. Pastrick said Terry Dennie died of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Tyrone Walton said Dennie waited outside the house until all his victims arrived home from a party celebrating another relative’s recent college graduation. Tyrone Walton said Dennie waited for Mandy to get in sometime after 3 and then started shooting.

Investigation

Lake County Coroner David Pastrick said:

“The evidence and preliminary forensics testing suggests that Terry Lee Dennie was the shooter in this incident of domestic violence,”

Pastrick also said:

“There has been a long history of mental illness and of threats and violence toward his family.”

He also stated that all six people were shot with a 9mm high-point firearm.

Arrest

No arrest information was provided.

Trial

No trial information was provided.

Sentencing

No sentencing information was provided.

Appeals

No appeals information was provided.

Outcome

Terry Lee Dennie died by suicide the same day as the shootings. Five people were killed in the Gary massacre.

Aftermath

Relatives gathered in the parking lot of Teamsters Union Local 142 across the street from the home. Tyrone Walton and Louvinia Walton described Dennie’s threats and prior conduct. As family, friends, and neighbors gathered across from the murder scene, distraught relatives had to be restrained from entering the house.

Five relatives, including Louvinia and Tyrone Walton, held onto their niece, Linda Haney, who said she wanted to get at the body of Terry Dennie.

The Rev. Eddie Shields Jr., pastor of nearby Evening Star M.B. Church, appeared shaken as he talked with police at the scene. The Walton and Dennie families were members of his church. Shields told the crowd of several dozen relatives and friends:

“This is a time to come together, to be united,” Shields told the crowd of several dozen relatives and friends.
“This is not a time for violence, for hatred. We've seen enough of that.”

Other details

• The home where the shootings occurred was described as a trim white and black 1-1/2-story home.
• Louvinia Walton described bicycles leaning against a shed in the side yard and a tiny red and silver metal tricycle several feet away.
• The incident occurred at 1176 Porter Ave. in Gary.
• Elizabeth Walton was admitted to The Methodist Hospital Northlake Campus in Gary.
• Relatives said Elizabeth was alert and talking late Saturday morning after being admitted with gunshot wounds to her torso and right arm.
• Tyrone Walton said he had tears streaming down his face while speaking about the threat to kill “17 people.”