Columbus man killed in yard may not have been intended target, police say
Columbus police so far have found no motive behind the July 11 shooting that left Jeremy Robert Sewell dying in a front yard in the Jordan-Johnson neighborhood, investigators said.
Sewell, 32, was among a group of people in the yard in the 4100 block of 16th Avenue, a place where people in the area like to gather, detectives said. Sewell was fatally wounded when gunfire erupted there shortly before 8 p.m., but he may not have been the intended target, police said.
Investigators said witnesses identified the gunman — by name and in photo lineups — as Joshua Donta Irby, 27, whose preliminary hearing Thursday was postponed to give him time to hire a private attorney.
Authorities have yet to find a reason for Irby to shoot Sewell, as the two had no apparent conflict, police said.
Officers called to the shooting at 7:57 p.m. found Sewell unconscious in the yard, where medics were unable to revive him. Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan pronounced him dead at 8:45 p.m.
Arrested around 4 p.m. Tuesday by U.S. Marshals at a home in the 2400 block of 10th Street, Irby is charged with murder and aggravated assault in Sewell’s death. He also faced charges Thursday of driving without a license, improper passing and hit and run, but those traffic counts are unrelated to the murder case, police said.
Recorder’s Court Judge Julius Hunter postponed Irby’s hearing until 9 a.m. Oct. 16. He is being held without bond in the Muscogee County Jail.
Police said they long have been searching for Irby, but he moved around so frequently that officers had to ask the U.S. Marshals for help.
Anyone with more information on Sewell’s shooting is asked to contact Sgt. Jeff Kraus at 706-225-4374 or dkraus@columbusga.org.
This story was originally published October 7, 2020 at 10:45 AM.