In the late hours of April 22, 2021, a fatal encounter unfolded near the intersection of Indiana and Allens Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island. Nickolas DiPanni, a 31-year-old White male from Smithfield, was shot and killed following a drug transaction. Earlier in the evening, DiPanni and his girlfriend had arranged to purchase drugs from a man named Johnny Xaykosy.
After the transaction was completed, an argument broke out between DiPanni and his girlfriend.
This led to DiPanni exiting his own vehicle and approaching the passenger side of Xaykosy's car. When DiPanni reached the window, Xaykosy lowered it and fired a single shot, striking DiPanni in the chest before driving away from the scene. Emergency rescue personnel arrived and transported DiPanni to Rhode Island Hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
The investigation into the shooting led police to identify Johnny Xaykosy as the suspect. Following a week-long jury trial that concluded in February 2023, Xaykosy, then 32, was found guilty of second-degree murder and discharge of a firearm while committing a crime of violence resulting in death. He had previously pleaded guilty to charges of carrying a pistol without a license and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. In April 2023, Xaykosy was sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences, ensuring he would face the consequences of his actions that night.
