'It's heartbreaking.' Purdue Poly junior shot, killed was basketball player, entrepreneur.

James Johnson III had a knack for making things look easy. He would walk into a gym, at 5-10 and wearing a shirt and tie and dress shoes, and dunk. When it came time to run the mile in the preseason with his Purdue Poly team, Johnson did not want to get his basketball shoes wet on a rainy day.

He ran it in Crocs. In under 6 minutes.

Johnson was a shining star away from the basketball court and track, too. He was an entrepreneurial spirit, starting his own business to provide fruit to parts of the city that were underserved. He had an internship last summer at Eli Lilly and had solidified plans just last week to work as a lifeguard this summer for Indy Parks and Recreation.

purdue crocs