Neighbors shocked by Laco's shooting death
NWI Times
December 10, 2014
LAKE STATION | Three boarded up windows at the Lake Station-New Chicago branch of the Lake County Public Library were the only reminders of gunfire that ended the life of John Laco, 84, on Tuesday.
About a mile away, neighbors of Laco's burned out former home at 2701 Central Ave. said they were shocked by the death because Laco always seemed so nice. Mike, at Mike's Gas Stop across the street from the home, said Laco used to come in all the time to buy lottery tickets, a newspaper and Little Debbie cakes, and frequently complained about City Hall.
"He put up cardboard signs in front of his house complaining about the taxes," said Mike, who would not give his last name.
The siding on Laco's home is melted and looks like torn, dirty sheets, and much of the exterior is charred. A fire there Feb. 20 was blamed on faulty electrical extension cords. Laco was pulled from the building by police officers and was treated for smoke inhalation, a neighbor said.
Lisa Krebs, who lives across the street to the west of the charred structure, said Laco knew her grandfather and she's known him since she was a small child.
"I used to give him rides to different places," Krebs said. "He was a pretty decent guy. I never had any problems with him. I saw him in the hospital a couple of times after the fire."
She said his house smells bad in the summer and she expected it to be torn down, but nothing has happened.
She called Tuesday's shooting death at the library/City Hall complex "shocking." And, like several others who knew him, she saw nothing before to indicate he would do anything rash.
Police said Laco was sitting in his car with the barrel of a shotgun sticking out the window. He was ordered by police to drop the gun and exit the car. As he exited the car, Laco allegedly pointed the gun at police, who opened fire, striking Laco several times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting is still under investigation.
"He always complained about his water bill," Krebs said. "Everybody says the water bill is too high."
"It's sad, but you can't do that," Krebs said of Laco's alleged actions with the gun.
Jim and Jeannette Hamilton own the engine repair shop next to Laco's home and said they occasionally helped him out. Their son Mitch would mow Laco's lawn, and Jim would do small repairs for Laco. He said Laco would offer to pay for it, but Hamilton refused the offer as a gesture of goodwill between neighbors. They described the relationship with Laco as neighborly without any problems.
Betty Ortiz said Laco came into her Central Laundromat regularly and would talk a bit.
"He was a very clean-cut man," Ortiz said. "He looked like my father would in the old days. This was a sad thing, especially since we knew him and he died that way."
Her daughter Julie Ortiz said Laco often came into the video store where she worked 20 years ago and was always very nice.
"When I found out it was him, I couldn't believe it," Julie Ortiz said. "He wasn't somebody we would complain about, but he wasn't somebody you just chatted with."
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