In the early hours of May 22, 2022, a dispute that began over the phone would tragically end the life of 15-year-old male, Storm Vondrashek, in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The conflict involved two groups of people, and the disagreement escalated to the point where one group provided their location to the other, setting the stage for a fatal confrontation.
Storm, along with a friend, Jackson Greengrass, traveled to an apartment complex located in the 1900 block of South 7th Street.
Upon their arrival, Vondrashek and Greengrass exited their vehicle and waited outside. A resident of the apartment complex, Sage Hicke, emerged from the building, and a confrontation ensued. The verbal argument quickly turned violent, and during the altercation, Hicke allegedly fired a weapon, striking both Vondrashek and Greengrass. Police were dispatched to the scene at approximately 1:24 a.m. for a shots-fired call. They discovered Vondrashek lying in the middle of the driveway with multiple gunshot wounds. Responding officers and fire department personnel attempted life-saving measures, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 1:43 a.m. The second victim, Greengrass, was also shot but survived.
Investigators found numerous shell casings at the scene, along with a firearm that they believe was not the weapon used by Hicke, but was instead possessed by another individual involved in the confrontation. The investigation did not suggest this was a random act of violence. On May 23, 2022, Jackson Greengrass was arrested for his role in the altercation and faced misdemeanor charges, including endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct while armed, and possession of a weapon by a person under 18. He was released on bond the same day. Weeks later, on June 3, 2022, the primary suspect, Sage Hicke, turned himself in to the authorities. He was arrested and charged with 1st Degree Intentional Homicide for the death of Storm Vondrashek.
