Brother of one of two women fatally shot at South Side pub is wanted on murder warrant

Taijuan Moorman, Columbus Dispatch
Updated ·1 min read
A memorial of balloons, flowers, signs and candles was erected outside Double D's Pub, 1501 S. High St., after two women were fatally shot and a man was critically wounded Sept. 13 following an altercation there. The brother of one of the two women killed is being sought by police on a warrant for murder.
A memorial of balloons, flowers, signs and candles was erected outside Double D's Pub, 1501 S. High St., after two women were fatally shot and a man was critically wounded Sept. 13 following an altercation there. The brother of one of the two women killed is being sought by police on a warrant for murder.

The brother of one of two women fatally shot last week outside a bar in Columbus' Merion Village has been identified by city police homicide detectives as the suspect wanted in connection with the shooting.

Joseph Bryan Howard, 19, of the Scioto-Southland neighborhood on the Far South Side, is wanted on an arrest warrant for murder obtained by detectives.

The shooting was reported around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13 outside Double D's Pub at 1501 S. High St.

An affidavit filed by detectives in Franklin County Municipal Court Clerk's Office alleges that a physical altercation occurred outside the Doublc D bar involving Tavia Copley and Taya Mollette. Howard, who is the brother of Mollette, then started firing a handgun, striking Copley, Mollette and a third person, identified in the affidavit as Daniel Brumfield.

As Copley was on the ground, Howard shot Copley in the head and then fled, the affidavit alleges. Copley was pronounced dead at the scene by Columbus Division of Fire medics at 11:46 p.m.

Mollette and Brumfield were transported in critical condition to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, Downtown.

Mollette died about an hour after the shooting at 12:29 a.m., the affidavit states.

The murder warrant issued for Howard is for the death of Copley. Additional charges are expected in the death of Mollette and for wounding Brumfield.

Howard is described as a 5-foot-8 white male weighing about 220 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information on Howard's whereabouts is asked to call 911, contact Columbus police homicide detectives at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS. All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous.

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@taijuannichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Suspect named in triple shooting at Double D's Pub in Merion Village