Ronald J. Smith, 30, was shot on March 10, 2023, on the 300 block of South Warren Avenue in the Hilltop neighborhood of Columbus. The shooting happened around 6:25 p.m.; Smith was found with gunshot wounds and taken to a local hospital, where he died three days later on March 13, 2023. The Columbus Police Department initially classified the incident as a robbery, indicating the shooting may have occurred during a criminal altercation.

Smith was remembered as a dog lover who enjoyed music and getting tattoos, and as an avid sports fan of the Cleveland Browns and Ohio State University Buckeyes; he also played chess and basketball. The investigation produced arrests months after the shooting: on August 17, 2023, 23-year-old Anferny Slaughter of Franklinton was arrested and charged with murder. In December 2023 a second person, 20-year-old Kalan Hansard, was also arrested and charged in connection with Smith’s death. Both suspects had previous encounters with the law, including a juvenile delinquency murder charge once brought against Slaughter that was later dismissed, and a 2021 indictment against Hansard for improper handling of a firearm.

Did anyone in Columbus know Ronald or see activity on South Warren Avenue that evening?