A shooting in East Columbus, Georgia, left 30-year-old Dean Lewis Hill dead on the late afternoon of Thursday, May 7, 2026. Responding officers found Hill on Merrywood Drive at about 5:20 p.m.; he was taken to Piedmont Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The Muscogee County Coroner confirmed his identity and his body was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab for autopsy.

The Columbus Police Department Violent Crimes Unit opened a homicide investigation and within a day arrested 27-year-old Korbet Smith. Smith was charged with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and was scheduled for an initial appearance on May 14, 2026. Authorities did not immediately release a motive as the investigation remained active.

A memorial service was planned by family and friends to mourn Hill’s death. If anyone has information about what happened on Merrywood Drive that afternoon, please share it with investigators.