INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A court date has been set for an 18-year-old arrested for the March murder of a 15-year-old boy on Indy’s northeast side.
Dwight Knox, 18, faces murder charges in the death of 15-year-old Tre’Von Riggins on March 28 at a playground next to an apartment complex in the 1200 block of Rue Rabelais.
WRTV previously reported Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the shooting around 7:19 p.m. March 28. After locating Riggins, medics rushed him to Riley Children’s Hospital, where he later died.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by News 8 says while at the scene, officers found a 9mm handgun near Riggins. They later determined the gun belonged to Riggins.
Investigators say they spoke with several witnesses at the playground who said they watched the encounter between Knox and Riggins, including Knox’s Uber driver. Witnesses reported that the two seemed to be communicating normally, but the interaction soon escalated into a fight.
The fight eventually ended with gunshots, and Knox – as well as the person he shared an Uber with – fled from the scene.
Talks with witnesses continued, as well as a review of Uber and geographic data. Police say investigators eventually located Knox at a home in the 3700 block of Market Street. Detectives issued a search warrant on the home on March 31, and Knox and two others were taken into custody.
A fourth person was at the home during the search, but they were released.
Following the arrests, the affidavit says detectives spoke with Knox and the male who shared Knox’s Uber.
The male told investigators that he’d shared Knox’s ride, which included multiple stops. He was the second stop after Knox, where he planned to meet with someone and sell two grams of weed.
Detectives learned from the male that he watched the fight take place from inside the Uber, repeating what other witnesses had described as the encounter being normal before turning violent. Court documents say the male got out of the Uber and ran after Riggins had been shot.
Investigators then spoke with Knox, who “denied any knowledge of a death in Indianapolis on the day of the murder and any involvement whatsoever.”
When police showed Knox a photo of him that had been saved to Riggins’ phone before the murder, Knox did confirm it was him – and confirmed it came from his Instagram account – but claimed his phone had died two weeks prior, and other people may have had access to his social media.
The affidavit says detectives located conversations between Knox and Riggins on Instagram regarding the gun sale. Police noted that Riggins had “contacted several people about trading guns” before his death.
On March 27, Knox reportedly messaged Riggins to discuss the sale’s logistics. The pair eventually agreed to meet at the playground, though Riggins “expressed several concerns about his safety and having no one else with him.”
Knox is currently an inmate at the Marion County jail on charges of two counts of murder and robbery resulting in serious bodily injury.
Jail records show he also faces charges in a separate case for possession of a machine gun and marijuana possession.
He is due in court Monday for a hearing.
