A Hammond teen was charged with murder Wednesday in a woman’s death.

Jack A. Marcardo, 19, is charged in the July 7 shooting death of Danielle Ellis, 30, of Gary.

A potential motive is not clear in charging documents. No witnesses appear to have seen the shooter and it is not on camera. Court filings do not yet show a lawyer.

He is in custody, held without bond.

Hammond Police estimated Ellis was shot around 1:30 a.m. They arrived at the 5400 block of Haywood Avenue, finding her shot in the upper torso and lying on a sidewalk.

She was taken to Community Hospital, before she was transferred to the University of Chicago Medical Center where she was pronounced dead just after 5 a.m.

A man said he and his female relative went to Gary around 11 p.m. or 12 a.m. to pick Ellis up to hang out at their Hammond home. Somewhere during the evening, Ellis and the man got into an argument.

The man and Ellis went for a walk.

Along the way, he heard gunshots and Ellis fell down, an affidavit states.

Meanwhile, the man’s relative said she wanted to leave at some point and told his little brother to come with her as she went driving to look for them. Someone was riding a bike on the 900 block of State Street.

She heard a gunshot and saw the man trying to aid Ellis.

A witness told police they saw a blue Divvy bike abandoned nearby after the shots were fired. Police found two casings by the bike. Witnesses said they saw Jack — a friend of the man’s little brother — on a bike in the area when the shooting happened. A witness said Jack was armed with an AR-style rifle that evening, charges state.

Police went to Marcardo’s mother’s home, who said her older son – not Jack – rode that bike. The elder son hadn’t been home for two weeks, she said. She didn’t mention Jack and refused to let officers inside her home.

A video showed a man running around the corner from where the shooting happened. The bike was found abandoned there.

Police executed a search warrant July 8, where they arrested Jack. He refused to talk with police.

Anyone with more information can contact Hammond Police Detective Sgt. Dan Mohoi at 219-853-6490.

mcolias@post-trib.com