In the summer of 2018, the life of 18-year-old Gage Eric Eup was tragically cut short in Terre Haute, Indiana. A recent graduate of Terre Haute North High School, Gage was known for his giving heart and was always ready for a new adventure, with plans to enlist in the military and eventually attend culinary school. On the evening of August 5, 2018, he was at a friend's home on Cleveland Avenue.
What began as a gathering of friends took a devastating turn.
Accounts from that night describe his friend, Dylan Morgan, then 20 years old, playing with a handgun. In what was described as a joking manner, Morgan pointed the firearm at Gage's face. He had removed the magazine but was unaware that a bullet remained in the chamber. The gun discharged, striking Gage and causing his death.
Initial reports led to the arrest of Dylan Morgan on a preliminary charge of reckless homicide. However, as the investigation progressed, inconsistencies in his account of the events emerged. Morgan initially claimed that Gage had shot himself, but the evidence gathered by police indicated otherwise. Subsequently, the charges against him were elevated to murder. The investigation also noted that drugs and alcohol were involved in the incident.
In February 2020, a jury found Dylan Morgan guilty of the murder of Gage Eup and of altering the scene of a crime. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison for the murder conviction. The judge handed down the advisory sentence for the charge, with the possibility of a sentence modification request after serving 45 years.
