Jury selection started Monday in a murder trial for a Gary man’s death in a garage after a night of drinking.

Anthony E. Thomas, 58, of Gary, is charged in the Dec. 9, 2022, shooting death of Kevin Lee Johnson, 64. He has pleaded not guilty.

He faces 45 to 65 years for murder and another five to 20 years on a gun enhancement.

Detectives from the Lake County/Gary Metro Homicide Unit were called at 9 p.m. Dec. 9, 2022, to the 1100 block of E. 19th Avenue in Gary for a reported homicide. Inside a garage, police found Johnson and a spent bullet casing.

Witnesses said a man named “Tony” shot Johnson, then left in a gray Dodge Durango. He was pulled over and arrested on I-80/94 just over the Illinois state line.

Witnesses said a handful of men, including Thomas aka “Tony” and Johnson aka “KJ” were hanging out, drinking, “teasing” each other and “trash talking,” when Thomas and Johnson appeared to get into an argument and started “wrestling.”

One man briefly separated them before Johnson appeared to go back to Thomas.

“I’ll shoot you in the face, (expletive),” Thomas said.

He then allegedly pushed Johnson into a chair and shot him, according to the affidavit.

“What am I going to do?” Thomas said, pacing.

There was nothing he could do, one man told him, worried Thomas could shoot him.

“You killed this man for no reason,” the man said. “You messed up your life.”

The case is before Judge Natalie Bokota. Deputy Prosecutor Lindsey Lanham is assigned and defense lawyer Michael Lambert is representing Thomas.

mcolias@post-trib.com