Adrian Lemont Phillips, a 26-year-old Black man from Huntington, West Virginia, was fatally shot during an outbreak of gunfire in the early morning hours of February 20, 2026. The shooting occurred at about 2:30 a.m. in a parking lot in the 300 block of 14th Street, near 3 1/2 Alley and roughly two blocks from Marshall University’s campus. Phillips was struck along with his brother, Derious Johnson, and a third victim.
Huntington police responding to the scene found Phillips and Johnson suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the two died at the scene and the other was transported to a hospital, where the victim later died; police reports did not publicly establish which brother died at which location. The third victim, later identified in court-related reporting as Taerin Young, made it to a hospital after the shooting and survived, with authorities initially describing the victim’s condition as stable.
Investigators said the violence followed a verbal altercation in the parking lot involving Kevante Jaimere White and a group of people. Exactly what was said, what prompted the confrontation to escalate, and the complete sequence of the gunfire were not publicly detailed in the early police accounts. State Del. Sean Hornbuckle, who knew the victims, later said Phillips and Johnson lost their lives while attempting to defend or protect other people. Huntington Police Capt. Ryan Bentley, however, declined to confirm whether the brothers were specifically shot while trying to protect the surviving victim, indicating that detectives were still working through a chaotic scene involving numerous witnesses and strong emotions outside a nearby bar. Police and forensic investigators continued gathering evidence and information as the homicide investigation developed.
Phillips, known to family and friends as “AP,” was born in Cincinnati and later became closely connected to Huntington. He graduated from Huntington High School in 2018 and continued his education through Mountwest Community and Technical College’s maritime program, earning Deckhand Basic Training certification in June 2023. In September of that year, he joined the City of Huntington and worked as a laborer in the Public Works Department’s Street Division. Coworkers remembered him as dependable, kindhearted and exceptionally hardworking, someone who regularly rode with his crew, helped others without hesitation and brought a positive attitude to the job. City officials said he was eager to learn, took pride in serving Huntington and was rarely seen without a smile. His death, alongside that of Johnson, who was well known locally as a basketball coach and mentor, left their family and multiple parts of the Huntington community grieving at the same time.
The investigation moved quickly toward Kevante Jaimere White as the sole publicly identified suspect. Huntington police obtained warrants on February 21 charging White with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Phillips and Johnson and a felony malicious-wounding charge stemming from the shooting of the surviving victim. Authorities said White left West Virginia after the shooting and traveled toward the Akron, Ohio, area. Huntington investigators, the U.S. Marshals Service and members of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force began searching for him. Their investigation eventually led officers to a residence in the 4600 block of Grandview Avenue NW in Canton, Ohio, where White was taken into custody without incident on February 22. Authorities said White had been under supervision by the Ohio Adult Parole Authority following earlier convictions in Summit County for aggravated robbery and felonious assault and had been released from prison in November 2025 after serving a lengthy sentence.
White was initially held in Stark County, Ohio, as a fugitive while West Virginia authorities sought his return. On February 27, he appeared in an Ohio court and waived extradition, clearing the way for him to be transported to Cabell County. By March 3, court records showed that he had been extradited to West Virginia and was being held at Western Regional Jail while facing the two first-degree murder charges and the malicious-assault charge. A preliminary hearing was scheduled in Cabell County Magistrate Court for March 10. Later that month, White appeared in court regarding a separate Ohio parole violation. He signed a waiver indicating that he would voluntarily return to Ohio to address that matter, but the court indicated that the Huntington murder case had to be dealt with before he could be sent back to Ohio on the parole issue.
The publicly available reporting located for the case does not show a completed trial or conviction arising from Phillips’ death. The latest detailed court reporting located described White as still facing the homicide charges in Cabell County, meaning the allegations against him remained pending rather than proven at trial. Phillips was laid to rest following funeral services at Christ Temple Church in Huntington, with burial at Spring Hill Cemetery. His death was mourned not only by his relatives and friends but also by colleagues throughout Huntington’s Public Works Department, while city leaders described the double killing as a devastating act of violence and pledged to pursue those responsible through the criminal justice system.
