MUNCIE — A Randolph County man has been formally charged in connection with the October shooting death of 17-year-old Christopher “Chris” Wilson Jr., a standout Yorktown High School football star and West Virginia University commit.
According to court documents, 40-year-old Dairus Thompson II faces a preliminary charge of aiding, inducing, or causing murder.
The Fatal Incident and Investigation
Muncie Police Department officers responded to the 1400 block of East Cromer Avenue on October 5 just before 3:00 a.m. following reports of gunfire. First responders located Wilson inside a vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Wilson, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound defensive end, had verbally committed to play college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
As the investigation unfolded, detectives discovered that an escalating dispute involving Thompson and an individual had been brewing for weeks. Investigators tracked a white GMC Acadia linked to Thompson, placing the vehicle near the scene at the time of the homicide and capturing footage of it fleeing toward Farmland in Randolph County.
Electronic reviews and cellular records placed Thompson and a juvenile relative in Muncie during the shooting. Authorities also retrieved video footage from Thompson’s devices wherein he allegedly gave instructions on carrying out a drive-by shooting.
Case of Mistaken Identity and Prior Arrests
According to witness statements and court filings, investigators believe Wilson was not the intended target of the drive-by shooting and was killed as a result of mistaken identity. A witness reported that Thompson explained he parked the vehicle before telling his juvenile relative to “let lil bros rockout,” implying the juvenile executed the shooting on his behalf.
Prior to this charge, Thompson was already in custody following an October 14 arrest tied to a separate fatal shooting on September 6 outside an Anderson nightclub that left 31-year-old Tomerious Smoots dead. In that case, Thompson was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon (a Level 4 felony), alongside 17-year-old Jovonte Day-Jahn Larry of Noblesville. Due to a prior conviction for dealing in a controlled substance, Thompson is legally barred from possessing firearms.
Muncie police emphasized that the ongoing investigation remains active as authorities continue examining all facets of the case.
