Ex-boyfriend charged in double homicide at Columbus Family Dollar store, police say
A suspect believed to be one victim’s ex-boyfriend is facing charges in the double-homicide Monday at a Columbus Family Dollar store, authorities said.
Phenix City police arrested Quartez Tremon Thomas, 25, early Tuesday, holding him on Columbus warrants charging two counts of murder, investigators said. He later was extradited to Columbus and booked into the Muscogee County Jail.
Set for a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. Friday, Thomas is accused of shooting Jasmine Trice, 30, and Kiera Williams, 28, around 4 p.m. Monday at the 2112 Floyd Road store , police said.
Thomas, who is believed to be Williams’ former boyfriend, shot Williams as she sat in the passenger’s seat of a car in the store parking lot, where Trice was found on the pavement beside the car, investigators said. A child, 6, was in the vehicle’s back seat when the shooting occurred, police said.
Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said that when his office was notified of the shooting around 4:20 p.m., police reported one person was dead at the scene, and another was en route to Piedmont Columbus Regional. Williams died at the hospital at 4:50 p.m.
Anyone with information on the homicides is asked to contact Detective Sherman Hayes at 706-225-4268 or shayes@columbusga.org. An anonymous tip line is at 706-653-3188.
These homicides mark the city’s 15th and 16th so far this year, Bryan said.
This story was originally published March 2, 2021 at 11:56 AM.