Court documents: Sunday shooting suspect knew victim
Aug. 4—A Terre Haute man who was the victim of a fatal shooting Sunday near 19th and Poplar streets had been playing basketball with some juveniles at the Davis Park Elementary playground just minutes before he was shot.
The police investigation also indicates the victim, Quincy Rogers-Porter, 22, knew the man later charged in connection with his death, Kole M. Hughes, 20, of Lafayette.
Rogers-Porter and Hughes had communicated via Snapchat that evening and shook hands just prior to the shooting.
Hughes made his first court appearance by video Wednesday in Superior Court Div. 5.
He has been charged with murder and possession of a firearm on school property, Davis Park Elementary. The incident happened across the street from St. Patrick's Church; St. Patrick's School is located nearby.
A judge entered a plea of not guilty for Hughes. He will be appointed a public defender, and a trial date was set for Jan. 31. He remains incarcerated without bond.
According to a Terre Haute police investigation, there was a prior relationship between Hughes and Rogers-Porter. The investigation also suggested Rogers-Porter was targeted in the attack, according to a THPD news release.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Terre Haute police were called to the area of Davis Park Elementary about 9:40 p.m. Sunday in response to a shooting. They were informed that a male had been shot and ran from the area.
Police later found Rogers-Porter suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest on 19th Street east of the school.
Juvenile witnesses reportedly told police they had been playing basketball on the elementary school playground with Rogers-Porter.
A male subject, later identified as Hughes, came to the playground and shook hands with the victim. One witness said he overheard Rogers-Porter address the other individual as "Kole."
The charging document stated that Hughes sat down at a picnic table while the others finished playing basketball. One of the juvenile witnesses said that after they were done playing, he and two of his friends walked toward 18th Street and when they got to the gate exiting the playground, he heard gunshots.
When he looked back, he saw the subject, referred to as Kole, allegedly shoot the victim two or three times in the chest and then saw the victim fall to the ground.
The witness saw Rogers-Porter get up and run toward the school then east toward 19th Street. He said that the suspect followed Rogers-Porter and shot at him several more times as they ran across 19th Street, according to court documents.
Detectives were called to the scene, and the Vigo County School Corp. was able to provide access to security cameras on the outside of the school.
Security video reportedly showed the witnesses playing basketball on the playground with Rogers-Porter and also another male in a bucket style hat (Hughes) enter the playground.
A short time later, Hughes is seen chasing the victim while firing a handgun.
In their investigation, detectives learned that Rogers-Porter had previously worked with Hughes.
Cell phone data showed Snapchat messages between Rogers-Porter and Hughes on Sunday.
Hughes messaged Rogers-Porter at 8:58 p.m. and told him "meet me at 18 n poppar if you wanna meet me." The data also indicates that there were three Snapchat phone calls made between the two from 9 and 9:15 p.m.
The location of the shooting was between 18th and 19th streets on Poplar Street.
The shooting occurred about 15 minutes after the last Snapchat phone call between Hughes and Rogers-Porter, according to the probable cause affidavit.
An Aug. 2 autopsy showed "at least 11 holes consistent with bullet entrances and exits," noted by pathologist Dr. Bamidele Adeagbo.
Hughes was arrested Tuesday.
Terre Haute police said detectives developed Hughes as a person of interest and, with the assistance of the Lafayette Police Department, began surveillance on his residence in Lafayette.
When arrest and search warrants — for Hughes' residence and for his DNA — were obtained, Lafayette police were informed of the warrants. They arrested Hughes about 3 p.m. Tuesday with a firearm in his possession as he drove from his residence, Terre Haute police said.
Terre Haute detectives then executed a search warrant at Hughes' residence and brought him to Terre Haute, according to city police.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at sue.loughlin@tribstar.com Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue.
