Crime

Woman arrested and charged with murder of man she had romance with in Columbus

One person is dead after a shooting Tuesday in Columbus, according to a post on the Columbus Police Department’s X page. The post says officers are in the 4300 block of Warm Springs Road in reference to a deadly shooting. Public information officer Brittany Santiago later confirmed the shooting happened at The Lakes Apartments.
One person is dead after a shooting Tuesday in Columbus, according to a post on the Columbus Police Department’s X page. The post says officers are in the 4300 block of Warm Springs Road in reference to a deadly shooting. Public information officer Brittany Santiago later confirmed the shooting happened at The Lakes Apartments. mhaskey@ledger-enquirer.com

A woman has been arrested and charged with murder in the Columbus shooting death of a man she had been in a romantic relationship with, according to the Columbus Police Department.

Police said Monday that Shayonna Jones, 30, was arrested Thursday and charged with murder in the Aug. 12 shooting death of Martavis McKinnie at The Lakes Apartments in the 4300 block of Warm Springs Road.

Responding officers found McKinnie unresponsive and lying on the ground, according to a news release at the time. Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said McKinnie was pronounced dead at 3:21 p.m. on Aug. 12.

McKinnie was shot in the left shoulder blade, according to Bryan.

A woman was found at the scene inside the apartment with an injury and was transported to a local hospital, where she was treated and released, according to a news release at the time.

CPD public information officer Brittany Santiago confirmed Jones was the woman found at the scene and transported to a local hospital.

There was a domestic dispute between McKinnie and his girlfriend, Bryan said on Aug. 12.

Santiago confirmed Jones and McKinnie had been involved in a romantic relationship.

Jones is expected to appear in Columbus Recorder’s Court for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 5:03 PM.

Kelby Hutchison
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Kelby Hutchison is the breaking news reporter for the Ledger-Enquirer. Originally from Dothan, Alabama, Kelby grew up frequently visiting Columbus to eat at Country’s BBQ in the old Greyhound bus station and at Clearview BBQ on River Road. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.A. in criminal justice and a M.A. in journalism. During his studies, Kelby specialized in community journalism.
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