On a Saturday afternoon in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the life of 19-year-old LeonDre Kyles-Thomas was tragically cut short. On August 13, 2016, Kyles-Thomas was inside an apartment on Greene Street when he sustained fatal gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival, becoming the 22nd homicide victim of the year for Fort Wayne and Allen County.
Witnesses reported seeing two individuals on bicycles ride into the apartment complex just
before the shooting. The investigation led police to 20-year-old Daquavion Johnson. According to court documents, Johnson was riding his bicycle when he approached a group of three men, including Kyles-Thomas, and opened fire. Kyles-Thomas was struck by a bullet, and when his friends rolled him over, they discovered a hole in his chest. In a recorded phone call to his mother, Johnson admitted his involvement, stating that someone was shot but that the person was not the intended target. He expressed remorse, saying, 'It shouldn't have happened,' and explained that he had been afraid of being shot in the back if he had tried to leave the situation.
Daquavion Johnson was subsequently arrested and faced charges including murder. In June 2017, he reached a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. He claimed the shooting occurred in the 'heat of the moment' and that he was returning fire after being shot at first. Despite a last-minute attempt to withdraw his guilty plea during his sentencing in July 2017, the judge denied the request. Johnson was sentenced to a 20-year prison term, with 12 years to be served incarcerated and eight years suspended. His sentence also included four years of probation.
