Five years after a stray bullet killed Columbus mother of three Latoya Carpenter, the person investigators believe opened fire during a vigil remains unidentified and at large. Carpenter was driving on Chatterton Road on April 17, 2021, when a bullet struck her in the head. Her family is still waiting for an arrest.
According to WSYX, investigators believe a shooter in a black Dodge Durango fired into a group gathered for a memorial marking one year since another homicide at the same southeast Columbus-area shopping plaza. Five people at the vigil were shot, including a young girl, while Carpenter was hit as she passed by in her vehicle.
Carpenter Was Not The Intended Target
The vigil was held at the Dollar General at 5001 Chatterton Road in Truro Township, where 28-year-old Jarrin Hickman had been killed the year before, according to a Franklin County Sheriff’s Office release. The 2021 gunfire turned a memorial for Hickman into another crime scene, with Carpenter caught in the crossfire as she drove past.
The Associated Press reported through the Tribune Chronicle that a dark-colored SUV drove past around 7:30 p.m. and someone opened fire, Carpenter crashed into a parked vehicle after being struck. Five people at the vigil were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, including a 12-year-old child.
Carpenter’s daughter Sequoia told WSYX she was driving behind her mother and heard the gunfire before she saw what had happened. She said the loss still shapes her daily life, while sheriff’s Sgt. Bill Duffer said investigators have conducted interviews, collected evidence and sent material to the crime lab but are at a standstill.
The case remains open. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office says tips can be reported to its Detective Bureau at 614-525-3350 or through its anonymous crime-reporting channels, and information leading to a suspect’s capture or conviction may qualify for a cash reward.
