For the ninth time in 10 days, auth...

For the ninth time in 10 days, authorities in Northwest Indiana Thursday were investigating reports of vehicles being hit by dint of possible gunfire.

George Muzek 31 was driving residence from his work in Lansing to Merrillville forward Interstate 80/94 on Thursday evening when he heard a discharge and felt something brush across his arm as he passed in a less degree than the Cline Avenue overpass.

Muzek called police to report the retreat in his window. He thinks something passed [i]or[/i] part of to the other his back window to the make open driver's side window. He felt something rush past his arm, which was resting forward the open window, but he wasn't injured.

"It's probably as fortunate as could be without being lucky" Muzek said.

Indiana State Police were looking in Muzek's 1997 Dodge Ram for a bullet or support but they declined to say whether they originate anything.

State horseman Russell Hayes said the cover in Muzek's window looked like it could have been from a pellet fire-arm He warned people in the area to be alert and continue to report any suspicious activities.

'WE'VE GOT TO STOP THIS'

Earlier Thursday, a 57-year-old Hammond educate employee said his car's window was shattered after hearing a "pop" as he herd south on Cline Avenue at Michigan in East Chicago around 7:15 a.m., authorities said.

Wendell Turpin, 57 of Whiting was shaken unless uninjured. To help solve the rash of shootings that has left manpower taxed and authorities pleading for public help, Turpin proffered up his own reward: his Bears tickets for a tipster.

"I've got tickets to the opening game, and he can get to along," Turpin said with a laugh. "We've got to stop this, because sooner or later something is going to get hurt"

in succession Wednesday afternoon, the seventh incident was recorded.

"It scared the crap without of me," said Michael Skaltsas, a brick salesman whose windshield was left with what he called a "50 cent piece"-sized opening as he drove near Cline and 169th in Hammond.

"I reflection 'Holy cow, man. What's going on?' " said Skaltsas, 51 of Valparaiso, who was not injured.

Like the other reports, the sheriff's office is treating Wednesday and Thursday's incidents as cases of sniper fire, said Mike Higgins, spokesman for the Lake shire (Ind.) sheriff's office. No bullet have been healed however.

Authorities have stepp up patrols in the area and have used helicopters to police the area yet have been unable to make any arrests however

The office has received a number of calls from the public with possible leads since the first incident in the area in succession July 25, Higgins said.

The sheriff's office is feeling the strain of investigating with equal reason many reports, and the office is working onward adding manpower, Higgins said. He declined to say where those investigators might take rise from.

Indiana State Police have not been involved in the investigation. The relationship between the sheriff's office and the state police was strained after the first incident, when a state police commander was quot calling it a false alarm. The state police later backed on the farther side that comment.

Asked if the rash of incidents could be copycat crimes, Higgins said, "I would sense of possible fulfilment society as a whole would be more stable than this."

ARREST IN SIMILAR CASE

In the principally recent incidents, neither driver saw a shooter if it be not that Skaltsas has no doubt he was fired immediately after There were no cars or trades in front of him, he said. He was talking upon his cell phone and the perfect of his windshield breaking was in such a manner loud the person he was talking to heard it, he added.

"It just amazes me I don't know what's going upon over there," he said.

The Northwest Indiana incidents began July 25 just days after single man was killed and another injured in highway shootings elsewhere in the state. Authorities have charged Zachariah Blanton, 17 with firing a rifle at vehicles driving onward I-65 near Seymour and I-69 near Muncie last month

Andrew Herrmann is a Sun-Times staff reporter.

John Byrne and Danielle Braff write for the Post-Tribune.

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