Christopher Wilson Jr. was remembered as a beloved football star who had committed to play at West Virginia University in 2027

NEED TO KNOW

• A 17-year-old standout high school football player was shot and killed while sitting in his car last month
• An Ind. father and son have since been charged in connection with the death of Christopher Wilson Jr.
• Dairus Thompson II, 40, and Dairus E. Thompson III, 17, are being held in custody

An Indiana father and his teenage son have been charged in the killing of a 17-year-old high school football star who was allegedly mistaken for another man the father had been feuding with, according to authorities.

Dairus Thompson II, 40, and his son Dairus E. Thompson III, 17, have been charged in the Oct. 5 killing of Christopher Wilson Jr., a standout defensive end who had committed to play football at West Virginia University, WTHR, WISH-TV and local Fox 59 reported.

According to the outlets, investigators believe the younger Thompson shot Wilson Jr. multiple times while the football player was sitting in a car with his girlfriend. 

Investigators believe Wilson Jr. was killed in a case of mistaken identity after the Thompsons allegedly confused him with a 27-year-old man who had been feuding with the elder Thompson, WTHR reported, citing court documents.

WTHR reported that investigators believe the father drove his son to and from the shooting, which he also allegedly helped coordinate. Prosecutors also accused the father of helping his son get rid of the alleged murder weapon after the shooting, according to the outlet.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Thompson II was charged with aiding murder, inducing or causing a murder, while his son was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and obstruction of justice.

Wilson Jr.’s girlfriend was unharmed in the shooting, WISH-TV reported. The 17-year-old football player was pronounced dead at the scene, however.

The younger Thompson — who now faces a maximum of 65 years in prison — was arrested and charged in connection with Wilson Jr.’s death on Thursday, Oct. 29, according to WTHR.

Wilson Jr. was a standout football player in the Muncie, Ind., area and had committed to play college football at West Virginia University, per the outlet.

“The West Virginia Football program is heartbroken by the news of the tragic loss of Chris Wilson Jr.,” head coach Rich Rodriguez told the outlet last month. 

Wilson Jr.’s high school teammates continued to display his jersey on the sidelines of their games last month, while the school held memorials and his family spoke publicly about his life and the loss, according to Fox 59.

“He was a star,” Wilson’s mother, Tywanna Price, told the outlet last month. “When he walked, his light shined.”

Wilson’s stepfather added: “He didn’t do anything wrong. He wasn’t at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was a kid.”

#Dad #Teen #Son #Allegedly #Plotted #Kill #Man #Victim #Innocent #Football #Star #Police