A Columbus man, Edmarius Oats, has been sentenced to 38 years in prison for his role in a drive-by shooting that left four people injured, including two minors, in May 2023. More than two years after the harrowing incident in a local park, Oats pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated battery on July 17, 2025, with the sentencing following on August 20, WTHR reported.
After the shooting, eyewitness accounts provided a vehicle description to Bartholomew County law enforcement, which was critical in the apprehension of Oats. This information was shared with Johnson County Sheriff’s deputies, who spotted a car matching that description and subsequently conducted a traffic stop. This sequence of events eventually led to a conviction for the Columbus man, as detailed by FOX59.
Further scrutiny into the events that led to the shooting reveals a grim tapestry of anger and retaliatory violence. Court documents cited by WISH-TV exposed a verbal altercation on Instagram, where Oats received an invitation to play basketball at the court. Upon discovering that a rival, Hardin, was present, Oats responded with a threat to shoot Hardin. Roughly 30 minutes after the exchange, the shooting occurred.
