Police arrest suspect in connection to three weekend shootings in Columbus, Phenix City
Authorities announced Saturday that they have captured a suspect in three separate shootings in Columbus and Phenix City police over the past 24 hours.
During a press conference Saturday evening, Columbus Police Chief Chief Freddie Blackmon said Justin Tyran Roberts was arrested around 4 p.m. in the area of Columbus Gardens apartment complex, 435 Third Avenue.
Blackmon said Phenix City Police Chief Ray Smith told him Roberts matches a description of the gunman wanted in the first shooting, reported around 8:15 p.m. Friday outside the Courtyard by Marriott hotel at 1400 Whitewater Avenue. Phenix City is expected to charge him in that incident, Blackmon said.
He said Columbus police are charging him in two subsequent shootings here:
- At 10:15 p.m. in the 1000 block of Broadway, three people were shot and taken to the hospital, all expected to survive, Blackmon said. Police earlier said the victims were two men and a woman. Witnesses gave a description of the gunman that fits Roberts, the chief said.
- Around 2 p.m. Saturday in a parking area under the Oglethorpe Bridge at Fourth Street and Broadway, a fourth person was shot and rushed to the hospital. Roberts matched the description in that case as well, Blackmon said.
Police have found no evidence that Roberts knew any of the people who were shot, none of whom had life threatening injuries, Blackmon said.
During the news conference Saturday, both the police chief and Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson said people shouldn’t fear coming to the downtown business district branded as Uptown.
“Uptown is safe. These recent shooting incidents that occurred in the last 24 hours have been isolated incidents,” Blackmon said. “We have not received any information that would indicate there was anyone else involved in these shooting incidents other than the person we have in custody.”
In the Broadway shooting, Roberts faces three counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of using a firearm to commit a crime and being a convicted felon with a firearm. In the Oglethorpe Bridge shooting, he faces one count each of aggravated assault, using a gun to commit a crime, being a convicted felon with a firearm, and theft by receiving stolen property.
Roberts is to have a preliminary hearing in Columbus Recorder’s Court at 9 a.m. Monday.
This story was originally published June 12, 2021 at 7:35 PM.