Judge issues $2 million bonds to north central Columbus murder suspects

COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Two suspects arrested for a north central Columbus murder faced a judge Wednesday.

Kiante Lee, 27, and Terrell Thomas, 29, are both charged with murder after 24-year-old Dedrick Robinson was shot and killed early Tuesday morning in the Farmington neighborhood.

According to Columbus police, Robinson was taken to Grant Medical Center a little after midnight in critical condition after being struck by gunfire at an apartment complex in the 2700 block of Brentnell Avenue. There, police said, officers found Robinson lying outside an apartment suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at 2:38 a.m.

Multiple witnesses reported that Robinson fired a shot from a handgun into an apartment before Lee and Thomas reportedly came outside and the three exchanged gunfire. Video evidence of the shooting as well as shell casings and handguns were recovered from the scene.

Police said several apartment units were also struck by gunfire and soon after 1 a.m. officers detained Lee and Thomas from a nearby apartment complex on Genessee Avenue a few blocks away from the shooting.

At an arraignment hearing Wednesday, Lee was issued a $2 million bond. Thomas, who was also wanted by police from a separate incident, was also issued a $2 million bond.

Thomas was then issued a $25,000 bond on charges of assault, theft, aggravated menacing and two counts of domestic violence stemming from a 2022 incident in which he allegedly threatened and choked a woman before stealing her phone at the Columbus Park Apartments on the southeast side of the city.

Both suspects are scheduled to appear in court on April 19 for a preliminary hearing.