COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — More people were killed in Ohio’s largest city last year than ever before, as Columbus recorded 204 homicides. A new NBC4 interactive map constructed with police records, court records and media reports details where those killings happened.

Last year was the capital city’s first with more than 200 homicides, surpassing the 175 deaths in 2020 for the city’s record. Columbus is home to just over 900,000 residents, which means that if every homicide victim last year were a city resident, that’s 1 in 4,440 people.

Victims ranged in age from 17 months to 89 years old. The median age was 30 years old (one victim’s age was unknown), which means more than half were under 30. The average victim was 32 years old. Twenty-one (10%) were under age 18.

204 homicides is one about every 1.8 days. The longest time between separate incidents was 14 days from Nov. 8 to Nov. 22, and the shortest time between two incidents was seven minutes on May 1 — killings at 10:02 p.m. and 10:09 p.m.

Not included in Columbus Police’s official homicide count is the April 20 shooting death of 19-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant by CPD officer Nicholas Reardon. As NBC4 reported, the Franklin County coroner ruled her death a homicide in August.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation passed Bryant’s case to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, and a grand jury will eventually decide whether to charge Reardon.

The NBC4 map above is accurate to the site of each homicide, except for the shooting death of 19-year-old Garner Bledsoe II on March 6. The 37th such victim of 2021, Bledsoe walked into Grant Hospital with a gunshot wound but died before saying where he was shot.

Going by when the incidents occurred, July had the most homicides of any month, with 26. Every month had at least eight killings, and five each had more than 20:

  • January: 23
  • February: 12
  • March: 15
  • April: 15
  • May: 21
  • June: 15
  • July: 26
  • August: 18
  • September: 21
  • October: 8
  • November: 8
  • December: 22

The vast majority of homicides last year (185) came from shootings, accounting for 9 in every 10. Five were stabbings; four were via trauma (three blunt force); three were cuttings; two were struck by cars; one was a burning; one was a dismemberment; and three had unknown causes.

191 homicides were stand-alone killings, while 13 homicides were part of double- or triple-killings:

  • Alyse Williams, 6, and Ava Williams, 9, killed on Jan. 2 on the 800 block of Danwood Drive in western Columbus.
  • Daniel Knox, 48, and Malik Akmar, 43, killed on Jan. 6. on the 1500 block of Fairwood Avenue in southern Columbus.
  • Kevin Williams, 24, and Nickolas Cowans, 19, killed on April 3 on the 900 block of Eaton Avenue in Columbus’ South Franklinton neighborhood.
  • Carlos Benito, 44, and Jeremy Bickerstaff, 42, killed on May 9 on the 400 block of S. Glenwood Avenue in Columbus’ Franklinton neighborhood.
  • Christina Antoline, 40, and Randall Davis, 66, killed on Aug. 23 on the 800 block of E. Dublin Granville Road in northern Columbus.
  • Charles Wade, 22, Demitrius Wall’Neal, 9, and Londynn Wall’Neal, 6, killed on Dec. 7 on the 6600 block of Kodiak Drive in southeastern Columbus.

Three locations had multiple separate homicide incidents last year:

  • The Sunoco gas station at 1799 E. Hudson St. in northern Columbus.
    • David Gaines, 62, killed on Jan. 6.
    • Herbert Earley III, 54, killed on May 5.
  • The Eagle Fuel gas station at 3851 E. Livingston Ave. in eastern Columbus.
    • Marsean Kato, 20, killed on Feb. 24.
    • Donald Anderson, 63, shot on March 17 and died from his injuries on April 6.
    • Abdou Kane, 21, killed on April 13.
  • Confidential Gentlemens Club at 1962 Lake Club Drive in eastern Columbus.
    • Clyde Woods Jr., 34, killed on June 12.
    • Jonathan Pryor, 46, found burned on Dec. 17.

Coming this week

NBC4i.com is running a report on homicides in Columbus in 2021 the week of Feb. 6.