Same week as Petrolia shooting

LAWRENCE CO. — With most of Lawrenceville still reeling from the fire that devastated a large portion of the former high school in April, a mid-June fire at an auto body shop near the old skating rink set everyone’s nerves on edge again.

However, it seems no one dare use the word “arson” yet, despite involvement in the school fire by the state fire marshal and by Illinois State Police Crime Scene Techs on the mid-June fire, which destroyed three vehicles parked at the McCullough residence there.

The fire was reported on Thursday, June 15 at about 4:30 p.m., when the three vehicles, none of them having been used just before the incident and none sitting on dry grass if a spark from a hot engine had been present, erupted into flames.

Fire department response was swift, and the fires were extinguished before they could do much damage to the surrounding buildings according to those on the scene.

Double tragedy

The situation was a double tragedy for the owner of the business and his family.

Jason McCullough, 36, was in an Indianapolis hospital when the fires broke out. McCullough had had a motorcycle wreck on U.S. 50 between Lawrenceville and Olney just the day before and was hospitalized for treatment afterwards, resulting in his absence from the location on Route 1.

However, family members of McCullough’s came to the rescue, calling in to dispatch to advise that they had information they wished to pass along about the fire…and potentially who may have started it.

Shooting reported

The fire came two days after an unrelated incident in Lawrence that had everyone talking but very little if any information disseminated by public officials.

On the evening of Wednesday, June 14, gunfire was reported at a location on County Road 1300N (Petrolia Lane) north of Bridgeport. The initial call came in around 9:30 p.m.

Unofficial sources report that there were injuries, and that individuals were transported to various hospitals in the area, including Crawford Memorial in Robinson, Good Samaritan in Vincennes, and Richland Memorial in Olney.

Richland, Disclosure was advised, didn’t report the gunshot wound to authorities for whatever reason, which is odd, because gunshot wounds are a required report by medical facilities.

The shooting was said to have been over a female.

Reported to have been involved in some capacity was a Brent Wolf, 28, of Bridgeport. Whether he was the alleged shooter or a shootee was unknown as of press time.

However, online court records show that Wolf was named as the respondent in an Order of Protection filed the next day by one Stephen Hartsock.

Also named as a respondent in an OP filed by Hartsock that same day was Tina Marie Hartsock.

Court records don’t make it clear whether the Stephen Hartsock in question is the elder Steve of Grayville or his son Stephen I., as no ages are available in electronic documents for OPs.

Whatever the case, the matters were set for plenary hearings at the end of the month.

Disclosure made inquiries of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department when the shooting as well as the McCullough fire was going on, and learned only that Sheriff Russell Adams was on vacation.

More likely will come available on both issues as the month progresses, so check the July issue coming up July 12.