In the early morning hours of February 23, 2022, a sense of urgency pierced the quiet of Kokomo, Indiana, as a vehicle arrived at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital carrying 25-year-old Izjohn S. Trice, a Black male suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Despite being rushed into the hospital around 1:30 a.m., medical efforts to save his life were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead.
The Howard County Coroner's Office would later confirm that the single gunshot wound was the cause of his death.
The Kokomo Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation, which led them to a residence in the 1600 block of North Wabash Street, a neighborhood on the city's northwest side. This location was identified as the crime scene where the fatal shooting had occurred. As detectives began to piece together the events of that tragic morning, they interviewed potential witnesses, including those who had transported Trice to the hospital. While the motive for the shooting was not immediately clear, the investigation pressed forward.
Less than a month later, on March 15, 2022, the investigation culminated in an arrest warrant for 31-year-old Jonathan L. Capers of Kokomo. Capers was already incarcerated at the Howard County Jail on an unrelated matter when he was served with the warrant and formally charged with the murder of Izjohn Trice. His initial court appearance was scheduled for March 18, 2022. The Kokomo Police Department continued to appeal to the public for any additional information that could aid in the ongoing case.
