Man pleads guilty in deadly 2022 Greenwood bus stop shooting

GREENWOOD, Ind. – A man who confessed to shooting and killing a teen at a Johnson County bus stop in 2022 has pleaded guilty in the case.

Tyrique Radford El, 20, is charged with murder in the August 2022 shooting death of 16-year-old Temario Stokes Jr., who was gunned down while waiting for his school bus.

“This case is tragedy compounded by tragedy,” said Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner. “It’s a sad and unusual case in that both of these young men had clean records. No criminal history. They had a dispute that escalated to gunplay and one ended up dead. And two lives were destroyed. My heart goes out to the family of the victim, whose life was senselessly taken.”

Hamner said Radford El pleaded guilty on Sept. 26; a judge took his plea agreement under advisement. He faces up to 55 years in prison, the presumptive sentence in a murder case, Hamner said.

Witnesses said Stokes was standing at a bus stop at Winterwood Drive and Providence Drive when someone in a black hoodie approached and shot him multiple times. Greenwood police said the shooting appeared to be targeted.

Police apprehended Radford El, who later admitted to the shooting. He told investigators he and another individual had been involved in an altercation with Stokes, who had just recently moved into the area. He claimed Stokes pulled a gun during the encounter.

He told investigators he saw Stokes at the bus stop and feared he was armed. When Stokes placed a hand near his pocket, Radford El “reacted too fast” and shot him. He told investigators he knew it was wrong.

“Nine times out of 10, he probably did just reach for his pocket. But I don’t know,” Radford El reportedly said to police, according to the probable cause affidavit.

He said the shooting couldn’t have been self-defense because Stokes didn’t pull a gun on him.

After the shooting, Radford El ran away and hid in a cornfield. He ditched the gun and emerged wet and dirty. When police encountered him, he initially told them he was sweating from a workout. He later told investigators he wanted to talk and revealed what happened.

Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 26, 2024.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 59.