Lance Glenn was a 29-year-old African-American man from Columbus, Ohio, and one of six children. His family included his father, Donald Wesley Glenn, a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, and siblings Duanna, Mark, Paula, Damon, and Eric. Loved ones remembered him as part of a large and extended family.
The early morning of Friday, April 5, 2013, was the last of Lance's life. An argument broke out just before 6:00 a.m. outside an unlicensed after-hours club in the South Linden neighborhood of Columbus. The club, known as the Body Shop, was located at 954 E. Hudson Street. During the dispute, shots were fired. At 5:47 a.m., a 911 caller reported the shooting. When Columbus police officers arrived, they found Lance lying in the intersection of Hudson Street and Howey Road, suffering from gunshot wounds.
Medics were called to the scene, but it was too late; Lance was pronounced dead at 5:55 a.m.
Detectives with the Columbus Police Homicide Unit immediately began an investigation into what was the city’s 16th homicide of 2013. The club had been full of patrons at the time of the shooting, and investigators were able to interview several dozen people who remained at the scene when police arrived. However, the shooter had fled, and no immediate arrests were made. Police asked the public for assistance, requesting that anyone with information contact the Homicide Unit.
The case took a dramatic turn a little over a month later. Police had identified Emanuel Gatewood, 24, as a suspect they wanted to question in connection with Lance's murder. In the pre-dawn hours of May 15, 2013, patrol officers in the Clintonville neighborhood spotted a gold GMC Denali SUV that matched the description of a vehicle sought in the homicide investigation. When officers attempted to pull the vehicle over, it fled, sparking a chase. During the pursuit, shots were fired from the SUV at the officers.
The 4.7-mile chase ended near the intersection of North High Street and North Broadway, in the parking lot of Columbus Division of Fire Station 19. A fierce gun battle erupted between the occupants of the SUV and seven police officers. When the shooting stopped, Gatewood and his girlfriend, 21-year-old Kourtney Hahn, were both dead inside the vehicle. Police found a handgun and a machine pistol-style weapon in the SUV. Two officers were injured by glass fragments when a bullet pierced their windshield during the chase.
While Gatewood was a person of interest in Lance's murder, his death meant he would never be formally charged or stand trial. The investigation into who fired the fatal shot that killed Lance Glenn remained open. A grand jury later cleared all officers involved in the shootout of any wrongdoing.
The case has since grown cold, with no new public developments or arrests announced. Lance Glenn's murder is officially unresolved, leaving his family without answers about who was ultimately responsible for his death. The Columbus Police Department continues to seek information from the public that could bring a final resolution to the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730.
