Wilfred Vigil, John Matthew Denter and Evan Wilson went partying on Saturday night, May 20.
They had several beers and then cruised State Street in Vigil's car. As they drove past 800 South, a group of youths on the street "flipped" them an obscene hand gesture and challenged them to fight.The youths in the car accepted the offer. And lost. Vigil caught a faceful of fists.
"Wilfred got cut up pretty bad on his face," testified Wilson during a preliminary hearing Wednesday for Vigil, 18, and Denter, 17, who are charged as adults with murdering Jeffrey L. Thomas, who was gunned down about 1:20 a.m. on May 21.
The two are also charged with trying to murder two other bystanders.
According to testimony Wednesday, Wilson has already pleaded guilty in Juvenile Court to being a party to Thomas' homicide. As part of his plea agreement, Wilson must testify against Vigil and Denter.
Wilson, 17, told 3rd Circuit Judge Michael Hutchings that after the fight, he and his friends went to Vigil's house.
"Wilfred jumped out, ran into the house and took out a gun . . . a rifle. He said he wanted to get even with them."
Wilson said the youths then drove back to State Street to seek out their foes.
Vigil and Denter spotted the offenders in a crowd near 600 S. State and told Wilson to stop the car. Wilson testified he parked the car on 600 South. Vigil, holding the rifle, and Denter, armed with a club, got out of the car and went around the corner on State. A few seconds later, Wilson heard shots.
According to other witnesses, Vigil and Denter pushed through the crowd. Vigil raised the rifle and started shooting.
Vigil and Denter then returned to the car and Wilson sped away only to be stopped by police several blocks later.
Back at the shooting scene, police found Thomas with a wound to the back of the head, Shane Hermansen with a serious abdomen injury and Jeremy Malloy with a bullet in the shoulder.
There was no evidence presented to suggest that any of the victims were evening and that they had been in no fights.
Dr. Sharon Schnittker of the state medical examiner's office testified that Thomas died after the bullet entered the left side of his neck, pierced the spinal cord and then fractured and lodged in the spinal column.
A surgeon testified that Hermansen, 18, nearly died as a result of his bullet wound. Doctors saved Hermansen by removing his spleen and splicing his colon.
Jeremy Malloy, 17, testified that he was struck in the shoulder and was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where an emergency room doctor removed the slug and then released him.
Hutchings has continued the hearing until Monday, when defense attorneys will argue whether evidence supports charges that the defendants' actions represented "depraved indifference to human life," which is an element of second-degree murder.