A Franklin County judge on Feb. 28, sentenced Kenyatta Glass to 14 to 19.5 years in prison after he changed his plea in a case stemming from a September 2023 shooting outside a Far East Side bar. The victim, 31‑year‑old Shawn Grooms, was killed near the Lotus Lounge on Channingway Boulevard, and another man was wounded that night. The sentence also includes two to five years of post‑release control once Glass finishes his prison term.
Plea and sentence
Per court documents and reporting by NBC4, Glass changed his plea to guilty on one count of involuntary manslaughter with a three‑year firearm specification and agreed to the 14‑ to 19.5‑year term. The court filing notes that the deal resolves the most serious counts that had been pending against him in Franklin County.
Arrest and extradition
Glass had been a fugitive until authorities tracked him to Lawrenceville, Georgia, where officers arrested him on the 1400 block of Braxford Trace. The capture was part of a multi‑agency sweep involving the U.S. Marshals Service and Gwinnett County authorities before he was returned to Franklin County for prosecution, as reported by FOX5 Atlanta. Investigators say the Columbus SOFAST task force led the search effort that ultimately brought him into custody.
Evidence and charges
Officials say video, ballistics and DNA evidence tied the firearm used in the shooting to Glass, connecting him to the attack that killed Grooms and wounded another patron, according to reporting and court records. Prosecutors originally charged Glass with murder, two counts of felonious assault and several weapons counts before the plea agreement reduced the case to involuntary manslaughter with a firearm specification. The indictment and subsequent filings show the investigation involved ballistics and DNA comparison work that linked shell casings and the recovered gun to Glass.
Legal note
By pleading to involuntary manslaughter with a firearm specification, Glass accepted a reduced charge that still carries significant prison time along with the added specification, according to NBC4 reporting and court documents. The sentence closes out a long fugitive search and extended investigation, though court records remain open for any post‑sentencing filings or appeals.
The case underscores ongoing cooperation between local, state and federal partners, and it marks the end of a search that stretched across state lines after the Sept. 3, 2023 shooting. Records show Glass will begin serving his sentence in Ohio while the Franklin County docket remains available for follow‑up actions.
