On January 9, 2024, 38-year-old Gilbert Contera-Ramirez of Columbus, Ohio, was found inside an apartment at the Island Club Apartments suffering from a gunshot wound. Police responded to a report of gunfire at about 10:15 a.m.; emergency personnel pronounced Contera-Ramirez dead at the scene at 10:57 a.m. Two shell casings were recovered near his body.

Witnesses told investigators they saw two men running from the apartment carrying firearms. Surveillance footage reviewed by police reportedly shows the individuals fleeing and getting into a red Honda Accord parked nearby. That vehicle was traced to a residence in the Hilltop neighborhood, where officers executed a search warrant and detained an 18-year-old, Manuel Perez-Cajete, who reportedly admitted involvement in the confrontation that led to Contera-Ramirez’s death.

Court filings indicate Perez-Cajete has been charged with murder; officers later located a firearm linked to the shooting. No other suspects have been publicly identified. If anyone has information about Contera-Ramirez, the crime scene, or the events at the Island Club Apartments that morning, please share what is known.