Columbus police seek help in case of 16-year-old who was killed in 2017
Central Ohio Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information leading to an arrest in an unsolved homicide from June 2017.
Columbus police were initially called around 1:55 a.m. on June 29, 2017, to the BP gas station at 3140 E. Main St. for a report of multiple gunshots being fired. The officers found a 17-year-old in the parking lot with a gunshot wound. That teen was taken to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries.
About an hour later, officers were alerted to a possible body on the sidewalk of the 600 block of South James Road, which is a short distance from the parking lot.
Officers found 16-year-old Marquelis Shaquan Barnes, who had been shot. Barnes was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives believe Barnes and the other teen that was shot had been involved in an altercation with another group of males in the parking lot when at least one of those other individuals opened fire.
Barnes had been a rising senior at the Focus Learning Academy. According to his obituary, he liked doing yard work, playing PlayStation games with his friends, basketball and music. He was survived by his parents, a sister, brother and stepsister, as well as an extended family.
"His kind, quiet and gentle spirit will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him," Barnes' obituary said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS, use the free P3 Tips mobile application or provide information online at www.stopcrime.org. All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and a special coding system is used to provide the reward.
bbruner@dispatch.com
@bethany_bruner
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Reward available for info leading to arrest in teen's 2017 killing
