Indianapolis man facing weapon charge after alleged involvement in fight at Culver-Stockton

CANTON, Mo. — An Indianapolis man was arrested last week and charged with unlawful use of a weapon after an April incident on the Culver-Stockton College campus.

At the request of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department, officers with the Quincy (Ill.) Police Department took Travon J. Hegler-Wright, 20, into custody on Sept. 27 and transported him to the Adams County Jail. He was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, a Class E felony. If found guilty by a jury, Hegler-Wright could receive as many as four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections or one year in jail.

A press release from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department said Hegler-Wright posted a $5,000 cash-only bond and was released. His next scheduled appearance in Lewis County Circuit Court is Nov. 18 before Judge Corey Moon.

A probable cause statement filed by Deputy Jason Slater said deputies with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department responded a few minutes after midnight on April 6 to a report of firearms being brandished at a large fraternity party at the Lambda Chi Alpha house. When deputies arrived, they saw several hundred people screaming and running in all directions.

It was reported that a fight broke out involving C-SC students and three suspects on the back patio of the fraternity house and moved to the side yard area on the south side of the building. One of the suspects was alleged to have displayed a weapon in a threatening manner and then fled the area.

Interviews were conducted with witnesses from C-SC who were at the party and C-SC campus security. It was determined the suspect who possessed a firearm, described as an automatic weapon with an extended clip, at the time of the incident was a black male with dreadlocks wearing a pink hoodie and black pants. 

Quincy University campus security later identified a Kia Optima that was identified at the scene was registered to Hegler-Wright. Quincy University faculty and staff members also began their investigation. Lewis County deputies interviewed the suspects, who admitted being at the party but denied knowledge of the firearm. Descriptions of what the suspects were wearing on the night of the incident were confirmed by Quincy University security camera footage.

Slater’s report said Quincy University was provided a copy of a video of a suspect (whose name was redacted) going to his vehicle and retrieving an item. QU officials interviewed Hegler-Wright on April 9 and showed him the video. QU’s report said, “With a promise of not disclosing where the information came from, Travon does confirm it was (unnamed suspect) who had the gun that evening at C-SC.”

The unnamed suspect then was interviewed and shown the video. He said, “In that video, you can’t see a gun on me.” He then said he went to his vehicle to get a toy gun, then changed his reply to say he was getting an Orbeez clip (a magazine that holds water-based BBs). He said he threw it out on the side of the road when they headed back to Quincy after leaving the party. When faculty members suggested they walk the highway and find the clip, the unnamed suspect began backtracking.

Security camera footage showed three black males — one identified as Hegler-Wright, with the names of the two others redacted — bringing a firearm, a Radical Firearms RF-15 .223 caliber weapon, in a black duffle bag to a football coach’s office on April 9. The weapon was turned over the next day to the Quincy Police Department.

Slater’s report noted a suspect (whose name was redacted) confirmed the firearm turned in was his and was the firearm involved at Culver-Stockton on April 6. A suspect (whose name was redacted) later turned in a black book bag that contained two magazines — an empty 30-round magazine and a 40-round magazine loaded with 38 .223-caliber rounds.

Hegler-Wright is listed as a member of the sprint football team on the QU website. A QU official confirmed Hegler-Wright is still enrolled as a student.

Lewis County Prosecutor Chelsea Fellinger filed a felony complaint on Sept. 19. Moon issued an arrest warrant for Hegler-Wright on Sept. 24.