A Fort Riley soldier remains confined in Riley County Jail on $1 million bond after he allegedly shot a K-State football player and injured another person early Sunday at an Aggieville bar.
Joshua Leslie Cummings, 20, appeared in Riley County District Court via Zoom on Wednesday in front of Judge Kendra Lewison. Cummings’ charges were upgraded to attempted first-degree murder, attempted murder in the second degree and aggravated battery for a shooting that happened shortly before 1:30 a.m. Sunday inside Tate’s, 1109 Moro St.
Court documents said the attempted first degree murder charge is for shooting Reed Godinet, 24, a defensive end on the K-State football team; the attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery charges are for using a firearm on Hector Manuel Martinez, 24. The relationship between Martinez and Godinet was not clear.
During his explanation for requesting a $1 million bond, Riley County deputy attorney David Lowden said Cummings fired five shots from a revolver inside the bar. Lowden said two bullets hit Godinet — one in the jaw and one in the abdomen. He said Cummings fired his gun at Martinez, who had tried to intervene, and hit Martinez in the head with his gun.
“This could’ve been a double murder,” Lowden said.
Multiple sources told The Mercury that Godinet and Cummings were engaged in a fight with each other on the dance floor immediately prior to the shooting.
Emergency officials flew Godinet to Stormont Vail in Topeka for treatment after initially taking him to Ascension Via Christi Hospital. Responders took Martinez to Ascension Via Christi to receive treatment for a concussion.
K-State football coach Chris Klieman on Wednesday during the team’s signing day press conference said players have to be “really safe.”
“It’s unfortunate what happened,” he said. “I’m glad that it’s moving forward, the direction with arrests and stuff like that. But we’ve had a number of conversations about it.”
Riley County police arrested Cummings, 20, on Tuesday afternoon with assistance from Fort Riley officials. Fort Riley spokesman Kirk Hutchinson said Cummings, a private second class in the U.S. Army, has been at the base since April, and he first enlisted in August 2020 from Brooklyn, New York.
Lowden also indicated Cummings could be a flight risk because he said Cummings wasn’t an U.S. citizen; he said Cummings was from an African country, but he didn’t identify which one. However, Cummings said he recently obtained his U.S. citizenship.
Lewison said the attempted first degree murder charge holds a potential sentence of 147 months to 653 months, the attempted second degree murder charge holds a potential sentence of 38 months to 172 months and the aggravated battery charges holds a potential sentence of 11 months to 34 months. During the hearing, Lewison appointed a public defender for Cummings, who indicated that the bond amount would keep him in jail.
State law allows people to carry open and concealed guns in public, but it also allows individual businesses to ban guns with proper signage. Tate’s, an 18-and-up bar, doesn’t have such signage.
Aggieville Business Association Executive Director Dennis Cook said the district doesn’t have a policy, so businesses ultimately make the decision. He said some places have taken on a no-gun policy and check for patrons for them.
Wintermote said RCPD continues to investigate the incident. “We’re still trying to figure out exactly what happened,” he said.
Police ask anyone with information, pictures or videos to contact Detective Janelle Compagnone at 785-537-2112 ext. 2301 or [email protected].
RCPD Director Dennis Butler told city commissioners Tuesday that citizens cooperated and provided “needed information” after its initial request.
Cummings’ next appearance will be at 1 p.m. Dec. 28 in front of Judge William Malcolm. Lewison said the appearance would be for setting a preliminary hearing date.
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