Man convicted in 2022 Columbus shooting that left two men dead
A Columbus jury found a man guilty on all counts, including murder, in the deaths of two men in a 2022 shooting on Fort Benning Road, according to court documents.
Court documents show Elijah Smith Jr., 24, was found guilty of two counts of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the shooting that led to the deaths of Marque Humber Jr. and Na’Kevius Petty on April 10, 2022.
Officers found Humber and Petty, both 19 at the time, wounded after police responded around 6:30 p.m. to the 1200 block of Fort Benning Road.
In a Columbus Recorder’s Court hearing in April 2022, Sgt. Thomas Hill testified video posted to social media showed Smith with five or six friends walking among party guests in the 1200 block of Fort Benning Road, then showed the victims as Smith’s arm extends into the screen and fires a pistol at Humber and Petty.
Hill testified Smith denied shooting Humber and Petty, but he admitted he was at the party and confirmed he was on the video wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and distinctive, multicolored sneakers.
Humber died at 6:48 p.m. and Petty at 7:21 p.m. at Piedmont Columbus Regional, investigators said.
Hill said police found 10 9-millimeter shell casings at the crime scene. Police seized a 9-millimeter handgun while searching the home where Smith was arrested.
Sentencing for Smith is scheduled for July 15 at 9 a.m.