A father and son have been arrested over a drive-by shooting that killed an Indiana high school football star in a suspected case of mistaken identity.
Christopher Wilson Jr., a standout player at Yorktown High School who had committed to play at West Virginia University, was gunned down earlier this month in his car while he and his girlfriend were coming back from a restaurant.
Police have now arrested Dairus E. Thompson III, 17, and his father, Dairus E. Thompson II, 40, for allegedly working together to murder the “gentle giant” athlete they mistook for a lookalike man the dad had been beefing with, according to charging documents obtained by Fox 59.
The teen Thompson is accused of pulling the trigger while getting “step-by-step instructions” from his father, the docs alleged.
Video allegedly shows the dad’s white GMC Acadia driving through the neighborhood before speeding away moments after the shooting.
Police searched the dad’s phone and found a video recording that appeared to be from inside the Acadia in which he can be heard “talking about how to conduct a drive-by shooting and (giving) step-by-step instructions on how to do so,” according to the charging documents.
One witness told investigators that Thompson II — who also goes by “Gotto” or “lil Gotto” — had said that Wilson’s death was a mistake and he thought the teenager was the person he beefed with.
Thompson II told one witness he “let lil bros rockout” — which the witness interpreted as Thompson saying he had his son do the Oct. 5 shooting.
Witnesses also told police that Thompson II and his son tried to trade the gun they used in the shooting, telling one witness to “get rid of it.” Investigators later tracked down the weapon, which was a ballistic match to that used in the fatal shooting.
Thompson II was arrested last week and charged with inducing or causing murder.
Dairus E. Thompson III was busted in Detroit on Thursday and charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and obstruction of justice. He is awaiting extradition back to Indiana.
Wilson, a high school senior, was an elite defensive end for the Yorktown Tigers, whom he led to a sectional championship last year and earned the distinction as Delaware County’s first-ever four-star recruit, according to his obituary.
The “gentle giant” had committed to play for the West Virginia Mountaineers in June and was set to graduate early from high school in December.
He leaves behind a large family, including three sisters and four brothers.
“Despite national attention for his athletic abilities, Christopher remained humble and grounded. He never sought the spotlight or allowed his success to change who he was,” his obituary reads.
“The young man underneath the helmet was what made Christopher truly special. His humility, kindness, determination, and the relationships he built left a lasting impression on his family, friends, classmates, coaches, teammates, and community.”
