GARY’S MESSAGE WAS BULLETS: BRAUN’S REPLY MUST BE ACTIVE THE NATIONAL GUARD -KEEP THE POWER OFF UNTIL LAW AND ORDER IS RESTORED

Gary, Indiana: August 22nd, 2026

Written by Jerry Smith

Hoosier Enquirer Opinion

Governor Braun needs to stop treating Gary like a normal community that simply needs a little more help. Residents there opened fire on NIPSCO linemen who were trying to restore power after the storms. Bullets hit the truck. One stopped in a headrest. The crews had to pause while security was scrambled. That is not “frustration.” That is a community that has decided the people keeping the lights on are fair game.

The correct response is simple and firm. Activate the National Guard immediately to secure every work zone. Do not restore power until the streets are under control and the message is unmistakable: shoot at the linemen and the power stays off. Let the residents sit in the dark, with dead refrigerators and dying phones, and think about what their actions produced. Civilization is not a free gift. It is a standard. When that standard is rejected, the benefits are withdrawn.

And while the Guard is on the ground, make Gary pay the bill for the extra security required to protect those crews. The rest of Indiana should not foot the cost of guarding workers against gunfire in a city that cannot police itself. The residents who created the danger should cover the expense of the protection their behavior made necessary. No subsidies. No state-wide tax hike. Direct cost recovery from the place that forced the measure.

Braun has the authority. The National Guard is available. The principle is clear. Deploy the Guard. Keep the power off until order returns. And hand Gary the invoice for the security detail that should never have been required in the first place.

Anything softer tells every other community that shooting at utility workers is a viable negotiating tactic. That message cannot stand.