COLUMBUS – Two people were killed and two others injured, including one of the suspects, in two separate shooting incidents Thursday.
One suspect is custody and another is in the hospital but two others remain on the loose, one of whom may be armed with an assault rifle, and should be considered dangerous, police said.
UPDATE 5/25/19 10:21 a.m.: This article has been updated to include the names of the victims from the incident on Sullivant Ave.
Officers found Ricqus Marshall, 24, lying on the ground outside 2930 Sullivant Avenue at approximately 10:20 a.m., Homicide Unit first shift supervisor Sgt. Dave Sicilian said. He died at Mt. Carmel West Hospital and DiJon Leeper, 25, who was found wounded in a stairwell inside a home at 2958 Sullivant Avenue, was listed in critical condition.
Sicilian says investigators determined that a number of shots that were fired both inside and outside, of a home at 2950 Sullivant Avenue and the two men were struck by bullets.
Another man fled south from the location after the gunshots and was apprehended by officers in the rear of 592 Binns Boulevard, where he was found hiding and a handgun was found nearby, Sicilian said.
A second suspect, described as a male black, tall with a thin build, fled in a SUV from the rear of the scene, carrying what appeared to be an assault rifle and Sicilian says he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Sicilian says detectives are not sure what role the victims or any of the other people played in the incident, as the investigation continues, and the names of the suspects had not been released Friday.
At approximately 9:22 p.m., officers responding to the area of Rand Avenue and E. Livingston Avenue on a report that person had been shot found Martin Harris in an apartment on Berwick Arms Place, suffering from a gunshot wound and apparently in extremely critical condition, said second shift supervisor Sgt. Stanley Latta. Columbus fire personnel took Harris, 33, to Grant Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
A second gunshot victim was located and also transported to a hospital in critical condition. Demitrious McKnight, 22, is a suspect and Latta says he will be charged with murder.
The initial investigation indicates the incident arose out of a home invasion robbery related to drug activity at the location, Latta said.
A second suspect fled on foot and had not been identified as of early Friday morning, Latta said.
These are the 44th and 45th homicides in Columbus this year.
Anyone with any additional information about these incidents is encouraged to call the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or Crime Stoppers at 614-645-TIPS (8477).