Marcus E. Deloney, 32, was shot and killed on September 21, 2022, after an argument over a parking spot on Highfield Drive in the Sharon Heights neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. The confrontation occurred about 10:40 p.m.; both Deloney and the suspect, Johnnie J. Wappner, displayed firearms during the altercation. Deloney was taken to Riverside Methodist Hospital but did not survive; an autopsy listed the gunshot wound as the cause of death.

Police say the fight escalated when Wappner struck Deloney on the head multiple times with a firearm before shooting him in the back. Wappner, also 32, told investigators he accidentally fired while trying to defend his teenage stepson, whom he alleged Deloney had choked. Wappner was arrested and charged with Deloney’s murder.

Deloney’s family describe him as a devoted father, husband, son, coach, and mentor. The case raises questions about how a parking dispute turned deadly and about responsibility when firearms are introduced into a confrontation; anyone with information about the incident is asked to come forward.