In the late hours of a November night in Kokomo, Indiana, the life of 69-year-old Rodney Eric Tolle came to a violent and tragic end. On November 23, 2021, police were dispatched to a residence on the northeast side of the city following a report of a shooting in progress. Inside, they discovered Tolle on a bed with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. He was airlifted to a hospital in Indianapolis but succumbed to his injuries the following day. Another man, 29-year-old Joshua D.
Briscoe, was also a victim of the violence, found deceased outside the home with multiple shotgun wounds.
Rodney Tolle was a man with deep roots in the Kokomo community. A 1971 graduate of Hayworth High School, he had worked for three decades as a painter and operator for Chrysler at the local casting plant before retiring in 2004. After his retirement, he didn't slow down, instead choosing to own and operate Rod's Towing and Storage. He was known for his love of classic cars and was an avid reader of “Mother Earth News.” He was a father to three sons and a grandfather, leaving behind a large family to mourn his sudden and violent passing.
Witnesses at the scene identified 38-year-old Zachary Thomas as the shooter. He was located by police walking near the residence shortly after the incident and was taken into custody. Thomas was subsequently charged with murder for the death of Rodney Tolle and voluntary manslaughter in connection with the death of Joshua Briscoe. The case proceeded to trial, and in March 2024, a jury returned a verdict of not guilty on all charges. Zachary Thomas was acquitted, and authorities have released limited information regarding a potential motive for the shootings. The community was left mourning the loss of two of its members, with the circumstances surrounding that fatal night remaining a topic of concern.
