LPD: Killer drove from Nebraska the day he shot customers at Lafayette Laundry without a word
Motive is still unclear. Plus, what you can do if your tires were damaged by metal scraps leaking on Sagamore Pkwy., other streets, on way to recycler Thursday. And more for the BiL Holiday Playlist.
Sponsorship help for this edition comes from Faith Church. The Lafayette Living Nativity will be presented as a gift to the community on three more evenings: Dec. 13, 14 and 15, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Faith East Campus on Indiana 26 East. New this year, Faith is pleased to announce a complete second Living Nativity, exclusively for walk-through visitors.
Support for Based in Lafayette today also comes from Purdue Convocations. Give the unique gift of a live performance! Shop our holiday sale and save $5 on tickets to our biggest spring shows, including Hadestown, Pretty Woman: The Musical, Chicago and “Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at 300” by Baroque chamber ensemble Les Arts Florissants. Valid through Dec. 15, 2024. Limit 6 discounted tickets per show, zones B & C only. SHOP THE SALE
POLICE: KILLER DROVE FROM NEBRASKA THE DAY HE SHOT CUSTOMERS AT LAFAYETTE LAUNDRY WITHOUT A WORD
Lafayette police, who still don’t have a firm motive for why a 73-year-old Nebraska man came to Lafayette and shot three people he didn’t know in a laundromat last week, released several new details from the investigation Thursday.
According to police, video shows Louis McGlothlin leaving his Lincoln, Nebraska, home early Dec. 5 and drove a silver 2023 Ford F-150 to Lafayette, arriving that evening.
Lafayette police say McGlothlin didn’t say anything when he entered Lafayette Laundry, 3100 South St., at 7:39 p.m. Dec. 5, firing eight rounds from a handgun inside, killing one Lafayette man and wounding two more people. Police say McGlothlin then walked back outside to the parking lot. There he fired one more shot before turning the gun on himself. McGlothlin died two days later in a Lafayette hospital.
According to police, McGlothlin had another firearm in the truck. LPD Sgt. Shawn Verma said police would release the type of firearm found in the truck after tracing and analysis.
Police said Thursday that McGlothlin shot Keith Ford, 35, of Lafayette, two times in the back. Ford died that night at a Lafayette hospital.
Police said Renee Martin, 32, of Lafayette, was shot four times. Since late last week, Martin has been transferred to an Indianapolis hospital, where she remained in stable condition Thursday, Lafayette police said.
McGlothlin shot Salvador Antonio De La Cruz Reyes once. Police said Reyes since has been released from a Lafayette hospital.
Police say five people were inside the laundromat at the time.
Verma said police have determined that McGlothlin acted alone. But questions remain.
Google maps shows a 626-mile drive from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Lafayette – taking I-80 east to I-65 south – would take nearly 9½ hours of driving time. It would take a similar amount of time to drive from Lincoln along a more southern route, through Springfield, Champaign and Danville, Illinois.
Verma said police didn’t have his exact path of travel to Lafayette. Verma said it isn’t clear whether McGlothlin made any other stops when he arrived in Lafayette, before he got to the laundromat just west of Earl Avenue. That’s 2½ miles from the South Street/Indiana 26 exit from I-65.
Verma also said he didn’t have confirmed connections McGlothlin had to the Lafayette area. He said family members were still being contacted for interviews.
For more: The J&C had this recording of one of the 911 calls Dec. 5 from inside the laundromat just after the shootings.
TOUGH DAY FOR TIRES ON THE MORNING COMMUTE: Lafayette police were collecting reports of shredded tires and other damage Thursday after a truck carrying metal scraps dropped pieces along a 4½-mile stretch of roads that morning.
Police said a driver for Oscar Winski, a recycling center in Lafayette, picked up a dumpster of metal scraps from Caterpillar Large Engine Center on South Street Thursday morning. Police reported dumpster had a hole in the bottom and that the driver failed to notice he was leaking the metal shavings as he drove west to Sagamore Parkway, north to Duncan Road and then south to the Oscar Winski facility.
Police said the driver was cited for the leaky load.
Police were asking all motorists with damage to call LPD’s nonemergency line – 765-807-1200 – to get an incident number to provide to insurance companies. Police also were advising motorists to take pictures of the damage for documentation.
ICYMI, TIM’S PICKS …: The next few weeks are action packed with holiday offerings. Let BiL correspondent Tim Brouk be your guide, in this week’s edition of Tim’s Picks.
Bonus cut: Lafayette Jeff choral program’s annual holiday spectacular – this year’s theme: Winter Wonderland – will be 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 13-14, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 in the school’s Richard Jaeger Theater, 1801 S. 18th St. Advance tickets are $12 for adults/$15 for premium seating. Tickets at the door are $15. For tickets and more, go to lafayettejeff.com.
DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? A BiL HOLIDAY PLAYLIST
The mailbox is still open for your three tracks for the Based in Lafayette Holiday/Seasonal Playlist, now with more than seven hours of music and growing every day thanks to BiL readers.
Today’s picks come from …
Angela Vinson
Angela Vinson is a local Artist and other artists cheerleader. When she is not making art or running LaLaGallery.com or IndianaMakersMarket.com – catch the third and final weekend Friday-Sunday, Dec. 13-15, at Wea Creek Orchard – or BinderyArtistStudios.com she is spending time with her dogs #LaLasZero and #LaLasDean, gardening and collecting seeds, and eating cake.
"Is It Christmas Tonight,” J. Roddy Walston – When the whole world shut down, artists and makers had to get creative and find new ways to connect to their audience. J. Roddy masked up and pulled off a Christmas Special that streamed live, and gave myself and others a new way to celebrate. It is so inspiring to see artists flex and collaborate. I stream the whole playlist during the holidays to get through the makers grind!
“Smokestacks,” Layla – My grandfather passed away on Dec. 11, 2015. I was working on a playlist for the Indiana Makers Market and this song came across my desk. Although it is about passion and desire and can be romantic, I relate it to my grandpa's death and the lyrics hit me so differently. He was a heavy smoker, I was covered in jet black from mourning, and he was carried home. We played it at his funeral and the passion in the song describes the feeling of loss and love for my grandfather. It brings me happiness to hear it on a cold December day.
"Christmas in Hollis,” Run D.M.C. – You know some Christmas songs on the radio start to grate your nerves, just me? “Christmas in Hollis” is never skipped when it is on the air, and is purposely added to playlists at the pop-ups and shop.
Andrew Milam
“I’m Andrew Milam, a technology director by day and musician by night. I play keyboards in The Groove, a local cover band and am the proud father of my daughter and son, who are both students at Purdue University. Music, family and friends are at the heart of my holiday traditions.”
“That Spirit of Christmas,” Ray Charles – This soulful classic immediately transports me to the heartwarming scene in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when Clark is in the attic watching old home movies. It captures the nostalgia and magic of the holidays, reminding me of the importance of family and cherished memories.
“Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” John Lennon and Yoko Ono – This timeless anthem blends the holiday spirit with a powerful message of peace. It’s a song that encourages reflection and hope for a better world, making it a must-have for any holiday playlist.
“Linus and Lucy,” Vince Guaraldi Trio – This jazzy instrumental from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” instantly brings back memories of childhood and the joy of the season. It’s playful, heartwarming and perfectly captures the whimsy of the holidays.
Your turn: What’s on your list?
What three songs are going into your holiday/seasonal playlist this year? If you’re game to share, here’s all we need:
Three songs and the artists.
One or two sentences about why you chose each one – could be a memory or a short history or review about why that track belongs in your mix and why you’d recommend it to others.
A little bit about you to let readers know who’s making the picks.
Send to: davebangert1@gmail.com
Thanks, again, to sponsor Purdue Convocations. Shop Convos’ holiday sale and save $5 on tickets to the biggest spring shows, including Hadestown, Pretty Woman: The Musical, Chicago, and “Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at 300” by Baroque chamber ensemble Les Arts Florissants. Get the deals here.
Thanks today for sponsorship help from Faith Church, presenting the Lafayette Living Nativity at Faith East 6:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 6-8 and Dec. 13-15. For more details, check here.
Thank you for supporting Based in Lafayette, an independent, local reporting project. Free and full-ride subscription options are ready for you here.
Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.