On June 13, 2026, at about 9:30 a.m., 22-year-old Avante J. Copeland was shot in the parking lot of a shopping plaza on the 1900 block of Cleveland Avenue in Columbus’ South Linden neighborhood. He was taken to Grant Medical Center but died of his injuries. Family members described Copeland as a loving father of two boys and an aspiring rapper who was passionate about his music.

Columbus police treated the case as a homicide and released images of an armed and dangerous suspect. Investigators say surveillance footage identified the suspect as 19-year-old Michael Lunsford Jr. After a weekend manhunt and a brief standoff with SWAT, Lunsford was arrested and charged with murder. Prosecutors told the court the shooting was captured on video, and a judge set bond at $1 million with a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 25.

Anyone with information about Copeland, his movements that morning, or the events in the plaza is asked to come forward.