James Shearer, 21, was found dead of a gunshot wound in Columbus’s Milo-Grogan neighborhood on February 18, 2023. Police discovered him early that morning and he was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 4:50 AM. Authorities have characterized the death as a homicide and opened an investigation.

A 22-year-old acquaintance, Nicholas Kesterson, was arrested and charged with murder and related offenses in connection with the shooting. Reports say the shooting happened during a gathering where alcohol was present; Kesterson has told investigators he shot Shearer in self-defense, claiming Shearer pointed a gun at him during an argument. Court proceedings and the legal review of those claims are ongoing.

Anyone who was at the gathering or who has information about interactions between Shearer and Kesterson that night is asked to come forward.