Columbus police are asking for the public’s help to find the suspect in an overnight shooting on the city’s East Side that left one man dead and another seriously hurt.
Officers were called to the 900 block of Barnett Road around 2:14 a.m. Sunday on reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they found 39-year-old Jeffrey Scott Amaker and an unnamed second victim both suffering from critical gunshot wounds. Both men were rushed to a local hospital, where Amaker was pronounced dead at 2:47 a.m.
According to the Columbus Division of Police, the violence grew out of a fight in the parking lot of a business. Investigators say Amaker, the second victim and the suspect were involved in a physical altercation before the suspect retrieved a handgun and opened fire on the two men. The shooter then fled the scene.
Police described the suspect as a Black man about 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 6 inches tall with short hair. He was wearing all black clothing, including a sweatshirt with the word “Think” printed across the chest in white letters. After the shooting, he was seen getting into a gray or silver four-door sedan with a rear spoiler and damage to the passenger side of the rear bumper. The car sped north on Barnett Road, and investigators do not know whether it turned onto Mound Street or East Main Street.
Investigators are asking anyone who was near the Prime Ultra Lounge or Miguel Brake and Auto Repair between 9 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 a.m. Sunday to share any video they may have captured. Police also want any footage showing the suspect’s vehicle traveling north on Barnett Road or along Mound Street or East Main Street.
Anyone with information can contact Detective Jason Brammer at (614) 989-5967 or JBrammer@ColumbusPolice.org. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can call Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477. Investigators say even a few seconds of video could help identify the shooter.
