Thomas Coates Jr., a 39-year-old Black man, was shot and killed inside the First Stop Bar & Grill on Oakland Park Avenue in Columbus, Ohio, during an early-morning altercation on April 3, 2026. Emergency crews found him unresponsive at about 4:05 a.m.; he was transported to Grant Medical Center in critical condition and pronounced dead at 4:53 a.m. A second person was wounded in the same incident and sought hospital treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said they did not believe a suspect had fled the scene and the Columbus Division of Police opened a homicide investigation into the motive and circumstances of the shooting. The First Stop Bar & Grill had a documented history of police calls, including prior shootings, and was facing legal action from the city attorney for repeated violence and liquor code violations; the establishment was permanently closed after this incident.

No suspects have been publicly identified and no arrests have been announced. Does anyone who was at the bar that morning or who has information about the First Stop Bar & Grill’s recent problems and patrons have details to share?