A robbery early Saturday morning claimed the life of former Prairie View A&M University student Aaron Hobson, who suffered gunshot wounds in the chest around 1:15 a.m., according to the Columbia Police Department in Columbia, Mo.
The 22-year-old Kansas City native was pronounced dead before arriving at University Hospital in Columbia. He was shot in the parking lot of a convenience store while traveling to see his cousin, University of Missouri defensive back Trey Hobson play against the University of Oklahoma, a tradition he had been participating in every year, according to his grandfather Al Hobson.
Senior mechanical engineering major Dominique Bostic, one of Hobson’s friends at Prairie View, said, “I discovered his death through a phone call from a friend while I was in Shreveport. I didn’t believe it until I went on Facebook, Twitter, and read several reports regarding the incident. ‘A-Hob’ was a good guy, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
According to reports, Hobson was accompanied by two friends when they made a stop at a local convenience store where he pulled out what robbers thought was a large sum of money, but was later estimated to be between $100 and $200.
Witnesses say Hobson was rolling through the parking lot, where he was approached by four men demanding money. After cooperating, Hobson was still shot in the chest and the suspects began to flee the scene.
According to Jill Wienke, public information officer for the Columbia Police Department, several arrests have been made in Hobson’s murder including 27-year-old Tony L. Lewis of Boonville, Mo., 19-year-old Leo D. Roland, and 20-year-old Deshon J. Houston, both of Columbia, Mo., whose bonds have been set at $1 million cash only. All three suspects have been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree robbery.
Police say surveillance videos show the suspects gathering around a vehicle before approaching Hobson and robbing him. According to the video, the suspects were accompanied by 23-year-old Daron M. Peal and his brother, 21-year-old Darrious A. Peal, both of Columbia, and police have identified Daron as the shooter.
Police are still in pursuit of both suspects who are considered to be armed and dangerous.
Senior agriculture economics major Nick Norman, Hobson’s former roommate in Panther Quarters, said, “This is so unreal. Even now, I’m still having a hard time believing it. He was a nice guy, he knew everybody, and he was generally a good person.”
Hobson attended PVAMU from fall 2007 until spring 2010, where he studied in the College of Business and was a member of both Campus Activities Board and Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences.
Those who knew him referred to him as a kind, easy-going individual. Hobson’s closest colleagues say he was most known for his car, arguably his most prized possession, his black Chevy Monte Carlo.