‘Oh my God.’ Family of fatally shot Columbus man reacts to testimony in court hearing
A Columbus man charged with murder had bond hearings for two separate cases in recorder’s court Tuesday.
Testimony in court about one of those incidents sparked an outcry from a victim’s family.
Zayvion Robinson, 19, was charged individually with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in relation to a shooting March 31. That case saw Robinson charged with the shooting death of Chris Collins, 29, in the early hours of March 31, Easter Sunday.
CPD Sergeant Robert Nicholas testified that officers responded to calls for shots fired at a block party on 10th Street between Samson and Benner avenues. When they arrived on scene around 1 a.m., they found Collins shot dead.
Nicholas testified Collins had been shot approximately 11 times, which caused one of Collins’ family members to say, “Oh my God,” in court. Tears could be seen welling up in the eyes of his loved ones and tissues were passed around.
Robinson was also charged jointly with Jyquarious Varner, 18, with two counts of aggravated assault, auto theft by taking and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The joint charges were brought in relation to a car theft and shooting at the Mystick Mart March 28.
All of the charges against Robinson and Varner are felonies.
Nicholas said investigators connected Robinson to the shooting with witnesses, phone records, ballistics and video surveillance.
An eyewitness to the crime identified Robinson as the shooter, according to Nicholas. He said the eyewitness was “within feet of the shooting.” Additionally, Nicholas said Robinson’s phone records, based on his social media and telephone number, “put him in association with the crime.”
The ballistics and video evidence Nicholas referenced came from the theft and shooting at the Mystick Mart on Brown Avenue 48 hours before Collins’ death.
The Mystick Mart Shooting
CPD Corporal Charles Alexander testified in Robinson’s second case Tuesday. He said that Robinson was one of four people identified in connection with the Mystick Mart shooting that wounded a Columbus man March 28.
Alexander said Robinson and his co-defendant Varner were identified on the store’s surveillance stealing a 2006 Buick LaCrosse left running in the parking lot. Alexander testified that the people in the car fired several shots behind them as they drove away, with one of the shots hitting “an innocent bystander” in the leg.
Alexander said video surveillance showed Robinson holding a 9 mm Glock with a red switch on the back to convert the gun to an automatic weapon. Ballistics testing connected the weapon with the shell casings found where Collins was killed, but the gun has not been recovered.
Impact of victim’s death
Judge David Ranieri found probable cause to proceed with the case and bound it to Superior Court. Robinson and Varner will be held without bond.
Nikesha Marshall, Collins’ godsister, spoke about the impact of his death on their family.
“It’s hard on all of our siblings, his mom, my mom, family and friends,” she said. “We just want justice, and I hope we get it.”
She said there are plenty of memories with Collins and that part of him lives on through his 2-year-old son, who turns 3 next month.
“We are going to make sure that we keep his memory alive,” she said.
