Columbus man charged with aggravated assault in 32nd Avenue shooting

A 21-year-old Columbus man was arrested in the Jan. 5 shooting on 32nd Avenue where a man was shot several times, according to reports from the Columbus Police Department.

William Washington, who was wanted on an outstanding warrant of aggravated assault in relation to the incident, turned himself in to authorities at 5 p.m. Wednesday. He was booked into the Muscogee County Jail for a 9 a.m. Friday hearing in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Columbus police said they were called to the 300 block of 32nd Avenue around 4 p.m. Jan. 5 to investigate the shooting. When they arrived on the scene, they found 22-year-old Dominique Horton suffering from multiple gunshots wounds.

Police said Horton and another individual who was shot multiple times during the incident were transported to the Midtown Medical Center for treatment. Horton was pronounced dead at the hospital at 4:09 p.m. The other victim was treated and released, officials said.

Columbus Police Maj. Gil Slouchick said a large group of people met on 32nd Avenue to watch two female juveniles fight, and the incident escalated when a man pulled out a gun and fired into the group.

“Several individuals were apparently videotaping the fight on their cellphones when the shooting took place,” Slouchick said in a news release in January.

Police said the suspect, a black man between 20 and 35 years old, fled in a large, dark SUV. He is about 5-foot-10 and weighs between 170 and 215 pounds, according to the release.

Washington was only charged in the shooting of the surviving victim, according to incident and arrest reports.

When asked Thursday morning if police determined there was more than one shooter, Capt. Gordon Griswould said Washington’s charges were not related to the homicide case. He declined to elaborate further.

Anyone who has information about the incident or any video of the shooting is encouraged to contact Cpl. Donna Baker at 706-225-4047 or email her at DBaker@columbusga.org.

Horton’s death is the first Columbus homicide of 2017. Less than two weeks later, 17-year-old Destiny Nelson was shot and killed at Bull Creek Apartments near Woodruff Farm Road.

Slouchick said Nelson may have been killed in retaliation for Horton’ death, but he confirmed that she was not involved in the 32nd Avenue incident.

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Columbus man charged with aggravated assault in 32nd Avenue shooting."