Investigators say the fatal confrontation began after Frank Haney reported that Juan Alberto Camarillo had pointed a gun at him.

GARY, Ind. — A neighborhood confrontation that authorities say began with an alleged gun threat escalated after a Gary man learned police were going to be called, ending with one neighbor dead, another wounded and the accused gunman facing murder and attempted murder charges.

Juan Alberto Camarillo, 45, is accused of killing 34-year-old Frank Haney during a July 12 shooting in the 5700 block of West 6th Avenue. Prosecutors say the violence unfolded after Haney told one of Camarillo’s relatives that Camarillo had pointed a handgun at him during an earlier encounter. According to the probable cause account described by investigators, Haney intended to report that encounter to police. Authorities allege Camarillo became angry after learning about the planned police call, armed himself and went across the street toward the Haney residence. The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office announced charges July 14 after investigators reviewed witness accounts, video and physical evidence.

The earlier encounter is central to the sequence described by police. Witnesses told investigators that Haney had been walking through the neighborhood when Camarillo questioned why he was there and allegedly pointed a handgun at him. Haney later spoke to Camarillo’s aunt, according to the affidavit account. She confronted Camarillo about what Haney had reported. Investigators say Camarillo acknowledged that an encounter had occurred and became increasingly angry when told the Haney family planned to contact police. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators reportedly captured part of that exchange before Camarillo headed toward the neighboring property with a gun.

The affidavit describes the minutes that followed as an armed escalation rather than a chance encounter between the men. Investigators say Camarillo paced near the residence where he had been staying and then crossed the street while carrying a handgun. Video cited in the investigation reportedly showed him firing a round into the ground near the curb and then directing the weapon toward people gathered in the yard. Authorities say Haney was not armed. The filing describes Haney trying to disarm Camarillo after the first shots were fired, placing the two men into a physical struggle as others nearby witnessed the confrontation.

Investigators say Camarillo fired toward Haney’s feet and then fired additional rounds toward Haney and another man. The affidavit says Haney again moved toward Camarillo in what detectives characterized as another attempt to stop or disarm him. Haney was struck multiple times. A preliminary coroner’s investigation cited by local reporting determined that he suffered three close-contact gunshot wounds to the left side of his abdomen. Haney was later pronounced dead. The second shooting victim was hit in the right shoulder and arm and survived. Authorities have not publicly identified that surviving man in the prosecutor’s announcement.

The shooting ended before officers reached the confrontation itself. Witnesses told investigators that relatives and others at the scene managed to overpower Camarillo, take the gun from him and hold him on the front lawn. When Gary police arrived, they found two men restraining him while the shooting victims were nearby, according to the court-document account. Those at the scene identified Camarillo as the shooter and directed officers to the handgun. The fact that Camarillo remained at the scene gave investigators immediate access to him, the weapon and several people who said they had seen portions of the confrontation.

Police then began comparing those witness accounts with the physical scene and recordings from nearby cameras. Investigators reported recovering five spent shell casings, a Taurus handgun, a baseball cap and blood-covered clothing. Officers also found five live rounds of ammunition in Camarillo’s pocket, according to the affidavit summary. Detectives reviewed Ring-camera footage and other surveillance video as they reconstructed the movements of the people involved. The prosecutor’s office later said the charging decision was based on witness interviews as well as video and forensic evidence gathered after the shooting.

Camarillo offered a different account while receiving medical attention after the confrontation. Investigators said he claimed that people in the neighborhood had been shooting at him and that he had been struck in the head with a brick. He also disputed ownership of the firearm used in the shooting. Detective James Nielsen, who investigated the case with the Gary Police Department and Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force, wrote that investigators did not find evidence corroborating those claims. Instead, Nielsen said body-camera footage, surveillance recordings, witness statements and forensic findings contradicted Camarillo’s version of what had happened.

That dispute between Camarillo’s account and investigators’ reconstruction is likely to remain significant as the criminal case proceeds. The probable cause affidavit represents the allegations used to support the charges, not a finding of guilt. Prosecutors say their evidence portrays Camarillo as the person who initiated and continued the armed confrontation after being told police might be called. Camarillo is entitled to challenge the state’s evidence, the interpretation of the recordings and the witnesses’ accounts in court. The prosecutor’s office has emphasized that defendants are presumed innocent while charges are pending.

Authorities charged Camarillo with murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, battery with a deadly weapon, intimidation and criminal recklessness, along with a firearm enhancement. Other reporting based on the court records describes additional battery and recklessness counts connected with the confrontation. The prosecutor’s office said Camarillo could face more than 135 years in prison if convicted of the charged offenses and applicable enhancements. That figure describes the potential exposure asserted by prosecutors and does not mean such a sentence has been imposed. No conviction has been reported in the case.

The investigation drew personnel from several agencies through the Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force. The prosecutor’s office said Nielsen received assistance from members representing the Indiana State Police, Indiana State Excise Police, East Chicago Police Department, Gary Police Department and Lake County Coroner’s Office. The Lake County Crime Scene Investigation Division also assisted. That multiagency work included gathering evidence at the shooting scene, reviewing recordings and documenting the injuries and death that formed the basis for the charges filed two days later.

One detail in early coverage requires care. Some reports said Camarillo was accused of injuring two additional men, but the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office announcement described a second shooting victim in addition to Haney, and the affidavit-based account reviewed by Region News Source likewise described one surviving gunshot victim. The available official announcement therefore supports a confirmed toll of Haney killed and one other person shot and wounded. The discrepancy in broader reporting has not been publicly reconciled, and authorities have not released information establishing that a third person was also struck by gunfire.

For investigators, the planned call to police is not a side detail but part of the alleged chain of events. Their account begins with Haney telling a relative that Camarillo had pointed a gun at him, moves through the confrontation over whether the matter would be reported, and continues with Camarillo allegedly carrying a weapon across the street. The state’s case then relies on recordings, witnesses and evidence recovered after the shooting to argue that the same dispute culminated in gunfire. Whether prosecutors can prove that account beyond a reasonable doubt will be decided through the criminal process rather than by the allegations in the charging documents alone.

Camarillo’s case remains pending. Prosecutors have not announced a conviction or final disposition, and publicly reviewed sources did not establish a new court outcome as of Aug. 22. Investigators have asked anyone with additional information about Haney’s death to contact Detective Nielsen. Camarillo remains presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty in court.

Author note: Last updated August 22, 2026.