Huntington is stunned after an early-morning shooting on 14th Street that left two brothers dead and a third man wounded. The victims include a popular middle-school basketball coach and a city public works employee, and neighbors, school staff, and officials say the loss has rattled this tight-knit community.
Names, roles and what we know
Huntington police identified the men killed as 26-year-old Adrian Phillips and 39-year-old Derious Johnson, both of Huntington, according to WV MetroNews. Johnson coached middle-school basketball at St. Joseph Catholic School, where school leaders say his team had just wrapped up an undefeated season to secure the Cabell County championship. The fact that the two men were brothers has only deepened the community’s grief.
Scene and initial investigation
The shooting was reported around 2:30 a.m. in the 300 block of 14th Street, near 3 1/2 Alley. Officers arrived to find two men with gunshot wounds in a parking lot; one was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other later died at a hospital, WSAZ reported. WSAZ also reports the gunfire broke out outside Bar None, and the bar’s owner has turned over security footage to investigators. A third man showed up at a hospital on his own and is being treated for his injuries, officials said.
School and city response
St. Joseph Principal Dr. Carol Templeton described Johnson as a beloved coach, mentor, parent, and friend in a Facebook post, while Mayor Patrick J. Farrell wrote that “this tragedy has devastated a family and shaken our community,” according to CBS Pittsburgh. City officials said Phillips worked in the Street Division and “showed up every day to serve this community with professionalism and pride.” School leaders noted that chaplains and grief counselors will be on hand to support students and staff as they try to process the loss.
Investigation and how to help
Huntington police say detectives and forensic teams are working the case and that no arrests have been announced at this time, per WSAZ. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Huntington Police Department Criminal Investigations Bureau at 304-696-4420 ext. 1083 or leave an anonymous tip at 304-696-4444. Local leaders are urging residents to let investigators do their jobs while rallying around the grieving family and affected students.
Local reaction
State and local leaders, including House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, voiced shock and called on the community to take a hard look at how to prevent more violence, WV MetroNews reported. Neighbors who live near the scene said they heard the shots and now feel less safe walking in the area at night. City officials and school leaders say they will keep coordinating support and resources in the days ahead as Huntington tries to heal.
