Nearly two years after 18-year-old Darnell Brown-Jones was gunned down on Columbus's Eton Grove, the two young men charged in his death have been sentenced to prison. Mi'Shawn Thomas and Giavon Hayes, who were 18 and 19, respectively, when arrested and charged, pleaded guilty on September 24 to reduced charges, with Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Chris Brown handing down the sentences that same week.
Thomas pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and received an indefinite sentence of 10 to 15 years in prison, while Hayes pleaded guilty to attempted felonious assault and received five years, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Both men had originally faced murder charges. Thomas, of the Mount Vernon neighborhood, was indicted in December 2024 on eight felony counts — including aggravated murder, murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, and having weapons while under disability — according to 10TV.
The 2024 Eton Grove Shooting
Columbus police officers responded to the 900 block of Eton Grove at 10:30 p.m. on November 14, 2024, and found Brown-Jones suffering from a gunshot wound. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene at 10:38 p.m., per the Dispatch's reporting. Homicide detectives investigated the case, and police identified robbery as a possible motive.
Hayes and Thomas were charged in connection with Brown-Jones's death and later pleaded guilty to reduced charges.
Hayes was arrested by Columbus police Tuesday, November 19, 2024, and arraigned the following Wednesday morning, while Thomas remained at large as of Wednesday night, per that week's reporting. Thomas was ultimately taken into custody November 21, 2024, and booked into the Franklin County Jail on a murder warrant after Reynoldsburg police arrested him.
Understanding Thomas's Sentence
Thomas's 10-to-15-year sentence is an indefinite term under Ohio's Reagan Tokes Law, which took effect in March 2019. Under the law, some offenders may remain incarcerated beyond their minimum term. The Supreme Court of Ohio upheld the law against a facial constitutional challenge.
Thomas received an indefinite sentence of 10 to 15 years for involuntary manslaughter. Hayes received five years after pleading guilty to felonious assault.
Remembering Darnell Brown-Jones
Brown-Jones was known in his community for playing football and basketball before his death, according to the National Gun Violence Memorial.
Columbus Homicide Trends
Columbus had recorded 81 homicides in 2025, its lowest number since about 2007, according to WOSU Public Media. Columbus police homicide detectives solved 69 of those 81 cases and also solved 30 homicides from previous years, the station reported, with officials crediting the improved solve rate partly to increased tips from the community.
