Man attacked with baseball bat dies in Columbus hospital, bringing homicide count to 28
Columbus began the month of May by recording its 28th homicide of 2021 with the fatal shooting of a man outside a Gentian Boulevard apartment, authorities said.
The shooting comes just days after a Columbus man died in the hospital from a head injury sustained April 11. A witness told police a jealous boyfriend hit the victim in the head with a baseball bat.
Police this past weekend reported patrol officers were called at 8:59 p.m. Saturday to 3860 Gentian Blvd., where they found John Anthony Johnson with a gunshot wound. Medics were unable to resuscitate Johnson, whom Deputy Coroner Elizabeth Allison pronounced dead at the scene at 9:34 p.m.
Johnson was 38 years old, authorities said.
On Tuesday, police announced they had obtained a warrant charging 31-year-old Charise Douglas with murder in Johnson’s death.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact Sgt. Kyle Tuggle at 706-225-4377 or ktuggle@columbusga.org.
Earlier case
Johnson’s death follows an earlier, unrelated homicide that was not widely reported because the victim died days later in the hospital.
Craig Perry, 45, was pronounced dead at 3:14 a.m. April 26 in the intensive care unit at Piedmont Columbus Regional, Coroner Buddy Bryan said Monday.
According to a police report, officers were called around 11:30 p.m. April 11 to the 1500 block of 11th Ave., where they found Perry had a “serious brain injury” from being hit in the head with a metal pole or baseball bat.
He was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, and lingered in the ICU until his death.
Police reported a witness told them a former boyfriend she identified as “Shane Tice” hit Perry with a baseball bat, because she had started dating Perry after she broke up with him.
Investigators confirmed Monday that Christopher Shane Tice, 41, is charged with murder in Perry’s death.
Records show Tice was booked into the Muscogee County Jail around 11 p.m. Feb. 13, charged then with first-degree burglary and aggravated assault.
Tice’s charges were upgraded to murder on April 27, police said. Anyone with information in that case is asked to contact Detective Will Ragland at 706-225-4056 or wirangland@columbusga.org.
The rate of violent death in Columbus this year continues to outpace the 2020 toll, a record year ending with 46 homicides.
By this time last year, the city had reported its 15th homicide on April 26, and did not have another until May 22.
This story was originally published May 3, 2021 at 4:55 PM.