COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus police have arrested a man in connection with a South Linden shooting they referred to as an act of revenge.
Devon Robinson turned himself in to authorities Tuesday and admitted to shooting 38-year-old Mario Copeland on Sept. 23, the Columbus Division of Police’s Homicide Unit said. Copeland died a short time later near the intersection of E. Hudson St. and Ontario St.
Video surveillance showed that on Sept. 23, Robinson and five others – Rayshawn Rogers, Christian Capers, Damon Capers and two others – surrounded Copeland in an alley near 1235 E. Hudson St., according to CPD. Robinson fired a gun several times at Copeland after which all the individuals who surrounded Copeland fled to their vehicles and drove away.
Officers found Copeland at 1:09 p.m. with multiple gunshot wounds. Medics transported him to Grant Medical Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:34 p.m.
The people involved were seen earlier on video at the scene related to an accidental drug overdose involving Lithasha Streeter, Robinson’s sister. The report states that Robinson shot Copeland in retaliation for Copeland selling drugs to Streeter, who died because of the overdose.
Robinson turned himself in on a parole violation warrant and confessed to his involvement during an interview with Columbus PD, which charged Robinson with murder. He was handed a $1 million bond and scheduled to appear in court again on Oct. 14.
The other five suspects remain at large, CPD said it expected two will turn themselves in later today.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call Detective Terry Kelley in the Homicide Unit at (614) 645-0907, Columbus Police Homicide Unit at (614) 645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS (8477).