Keith Dumas, 47, fatally shot while walking dog in Gary, Ind.

Eric Horng Image
Saturday, April 25, 2015
042415-wls-gary-shooting-10p-vid
042415-wls-gary-shooting-10p-vid

GARY, Ind. (WLS) -- A man was shot and killed Friday while walking his dog in northwest Indiana.

The pet survived and Friday night neighbors are mourning the kind of guy who would shovel your driveway.

Keith Dumas, 48, leaves behind two daughters. His dog was also wounded and will need to have its leg amputated. Dumas' death is stunning to those who knew him.

"He's the last person you'd expect on the block that something would happen to," said neighbor John Thigpen. "Such a good guy he is. You would never expect nothing like that to happen."

Gary police say it happened near train tracks around 10 a.m. Friday as Dumas was walking his dog. Police say Dumas was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds.

His dog C.J., a Labrador pit bull mix was also shot in the back leg.

"The dog wasn't vicious, but the dog wouldn't let anybody run up on him. So it had to be somebody he didn't know," Thigpen said.

C.J. was taken to Westchester Animal Clinic in Porter where x-rays revealed a shattered bone. His leg will need to be amputated.

Dumas was a father of two teenage girls and also cared for his parents. He was known as a good neighbor who was always quick to help.

"You working on something, carrying something, he's right there," said Thigpen. "Your car's stuck. We had cars getting stuck out here. He'd go push."

No one in custody. The gunman may have been in a vehicle, but police have not released a description.

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