COLUMBUS – The number of homicides in Columbus in 2020 is higher than the number recorded during all of last year and there are still more than three months left in the year.
Columbus police say at least 10 people were shot during a stretch of less than 18 hours Tuesday and Wednesday, four of them fatally, bringing the city’s homicide toll to 106.
Another seven people were shot Wednesday, including a 21-year-old man killed during an alleged exchange of gunfire with a 23-year-old suspect in Merion Village just before 2:00 a.m., police said.
Charles Knapper was one of three men who died in separate shooting incidents between 2:00 a.m. and 9:28 p.m. Wednesday, Homicide Unit detectives said.
UPDATE: 9/21/20 6:57 a.m.: Police have identified the victim in the following incident as David Mayo.
A 68-year-old man died at Grant Medical Center after officers responding to a reported shooting found him suffering from gunshot wounds inside his home at 280 S. Central Avenue at approximately 6:32 a.m. Wednesday, detectives said.
Officers were called to the area of 1106 Vesta Avenue at 7:13 p.m. on a report of a shooting at the same time that ShotSpotter technology detected gunshots at the same place, according to Sgt. James Marable of the Homicide Unit.
The officers found Shawntaye Gavin suffering from an apparent gunshot wound after being shot in front of that address. The 31-year-old Gavin was taken to Grant Medical Center where he died just after 7:30 p.m., the 106th homicide victim in Columbus in 2020.
There were 105 homicides in all of 2019. In 2017, the city saw its all-time highest death toll: 143.
What precipitated the shooting and who shot Gavin are still under investigation, Marable said.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to call the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477).
Two people were listed in stable condition after being shot just before 2:00 a.m. Wednesday near the intersection of E. Main Street and S. Lazelle Street.
One man has been arrested for shooting a man in the foot while the victim held his infant granddaughter outside a home on Leona Avenue just after 5:30 p.m., Sgt. James Jardine of the Felony Assault Unit said. Gregory Anderson Jr., 34, was charged with felonious assault in the shooting of 40-year-old Leopoldo Dunlap.
Dunlap’s 1-year-old granddaughter was uninjured.
Shakarr Easley, 24, was in stable condition after police say he was shot at least three times in the area of 1174 Olney Avenue at approximately 9:28 p.m. by a suspect in a passing white Chevrolet Impala, police said.