Thomas Emmanuel Coates Jr., known as Tom C, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of April 3, 2026, at the First Stop Bar & Grill in North Linden, Columbus. Police were called about 4:05 a.m. after a report of a shooting; Coates, 39, was found critically injured and later died at Grant Medical Center. A second person was also shot and arrived at a hospital independently; that person was expected to survive.

The bar had a record of violent incidents and multiple police responses in the months before this killing, and had been cited for failing to follow court-ordered security measures. Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said the establishment ignored safety recommendations; the business closed permanently after Coates’s death. Authorities said there was no indication a suspect fled the scene, but no arrests or suspect identities have been released.

Coates was born April 9, 1986, in Columbus and worked as a transportation driver for a youth mentorship program. He was described by family as a devoted father focused on self-improvement. Does anyone who knew Tom C or who was at the bar that night have information to share with investigators?