Carjackings End With Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound

Starke County Sheriff's Deputy Bill Dulin and Prosecutor Nick Bourff speak to the media about the June 8, 2014 carjacking and ensuing pursuit.
Starke County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Dulin and Prosecutor Nick Bourff speak to the media about the June 6, 2014 carjacking and ensuing pursuit.

A Starke County man police say carjacked a motorist at gunpoint at Mark Bailey’s Discount Center Friday afternoon led officers from multiple agencies on a high-speed chase through four counties before turning his gun on himself. Officials from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department will only say the man is 57-years-old. He took the car from the store at 3:41 p.m., according to authorities, and drove it to English Lake, where he left the owner of the first vehicle, stole a second car and fled.

A short time later a third car was reported stolen from the Hebron area on State Road 8. State troopers used stop sticks to flatten the tires on that vehicle on Interstate 65 in Crown Point in order to end the pursuit. That’s when he shot himself in the face, according to authorities. He was taken to Franciscan St. Anthony Health in Crown Point. At this time it is unclear whether he is alive. After the pursuit ended, deputies in Starke County checked his home in California Township and found a dead woman. Her name and age have not been released, and authorities did not comment on the nature of her relationship to the man. We’ve left a message for Starke County Coroner Kris Rannells for information about her cause of death. Investigators in Starke County are obtaining warrants to search the residence and vehicles. They cannot comment as to whether either had a prior criminal history. We will update this story throughout the weekend as more information becomes available.