Columbus police arrest suspects in two homicides, including one victim who crashed on I-71

Bethany Bruner, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
Columbus police have charged suspects in two unrelated homicides involving men shot in cars, including one man who crashed his vehicle on I-71, miles away from what police say was a drug deal gone bad.
Columbus police have charged suspects in two unrelated homicides involving men shot in cars, including one man who crashed his vehicle on I-71, miles away from what police say was a drug deal gone bad.

Columbus police have arrested suspects in connection with separate homicides this year involving two men fatally shot in cars, one of which crashed on Interstate 71.

On Thursday, city homicide detectives arrested 29-year-old Michael Thilat, of North Linden, in connection with the death of 56-year-old Anthony Luney.

According to police, Luney was found shot around 11:45 p.m. Saturday inside the driver's seat of his car on Interstate 71 northbound, north of the Morse Road exit. A 911 caller said a Mini Cooper was driving up against the median wall and crashed into the wall, and it appeared the driver was passed out or sleeping.

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Luney, who was from the Far North Side, was pronounced died at the scene by medics, police said.

According to court records, detectives, through their investigation, identified Thilat as a possible suspect. When interviewed, Thilat allegedly admitted to shooting Luney "during a drug deal."

Thilat said the shooting occurred at a business on the 3300 block of Maize Road, about three miles from where Luney was found in his car.

Thilat is currently being held in the Franklin County jail in lieu of a $1 million bond.

Arrest made in March shooting of teen

Earlier this week, Columbus police arrested 18-year-old Tayeshawn Gavin in connection with the March 11 death of 18-year-old Chaz Fleming.

Around noon on March 11, police were called on a report of a shooting at the intersection of McCutcheon Road and Merwin Hill Drive on the city's East Side. Fleming, who was from the North Linden area, was found shot inside a car and died at the scene, police said.

Four other people between the ages of 15 and 20 were in the car at the time Fleming was shot. One of those victims, a 20-year-old, was taken to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in another vehicle for treatment of a gunshot wound. The other passengers were not injured, police said.

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Homicide investigators determined that Gavin was the shooter, according to court records. Gavin is currently being held in the Franklin County jail in lieu of a $1.5 million bond.

As of Friday morning, Columbus police have investigated 47 homicides in 2022, with 21 cases closed through arrest and another case cleared as probable self-defense for an overall closure rate of 46.8%.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Man found shot in car on I-71 was shot during drug deal