On December 7, 2021, 9-year-old Demetrius Wall-Neal and his 6-year-old sister, Londynn Wall-Neal, were shot and killed while riding in a car in the parking lot of the Winchester Lakes Apartment complex on Columbus’s Southeast Side. Their mother’s boyfriend, 22-year-old Charles Wade, was also in the vehicle when multiple shooters opened fire, discharging 68 rounds. Demetrius was struck 15 times, including three times in the head; Londynn was shot twice and survived those wounds long enough to be present at the scene before dying. Columbus police believe the attack was targeted, but the motive remains unclear and no arrests have been announced.

The killings shocked the community; vigils and memorials have been held and the children’s mother, Brittany Jones, has organized initiatives such as school supply drives in their memory while pressing for justice. Surveillance footage has been released and a reward offered as investigators continue to ask anyone with information to come forward.

If anyone saw the shooting or has information about who was responsible, please share tips with Columbus police.