A drive-by shooting outside a northeast Columbus church during a funeral procession left two people wounded and sent mourners scrambling. Four young men now face felony charges in Franklin County in connection with the August 17 incident.
Columbus police were called just before 12:30 p.m. to the 1800 block of Woodland Avenue outside Antioch Jordan Columbus Baptist Church at 1825 Woodland Avenue. A funeral for 20-year-old Demontae Johnson was concluding. Mourners, including children and a youth drumline, were exiting the building to begin a procession when shots were fired from a dark-colored stolen BMW, according to police and court records.
Two people were shot and taken to hospitals in stable condition. Additional victims were identified at the scene. At least a dozen others did not identify themselves to investigators. A funeral director’s vehicle was struck by gunfire. The church stated the building was being rented by an outside party and was not hosting its own service.
Investigators recovered video showing a person in a light gray hoodie leaning from the front passenger window and firing. The stolen BMW was later located in the 600 block of Gibbard Avenue. Four firearms and keys to the BMW were recovered. Ballistic testing linked at least one recovered 9mm handgun (described in records as having a switch) to casings from the church scene.
The four men charged in connection with the shooting are:
Trequan Hite, 19
Charged with felony fleeing and eluding. Court records state officers saw men enter a Chrysler driven by Hite after the shooting. When police attempted a stop, the vehicle reached 74 mph, was spiked, crashed into a traffic pole, and Hite fled on foot before being caught. Initial bond was set at $100,000.
Shimetrious Coates-Jones, 18
Charged with four counts of felonious assault, discharging a firearm on or near prohibited premises, improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, and unlawful possession of dangerous ordnance. Records state he was seen accessing the BMW, possessed keys to it, ran from officers at a gas station on East Fifth Avenue, and discarded a stolen 9mm handgun that matched casings from the scene. Initial bond was set at $500,000.
Regionn Dickerson, 18
Charged with four counts of felonious assault, felony discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises, improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of dangerous ordnance, and carrying a concealed loaded weapon. Court documents allege he was a rear passenger and that a witness said shots were fired from the back seat. A loaded firearm found in his pants matched casings from the vehicle and scene. He allegedly admitted possessing the firearm used. Initial bond was set at $500,000.
Sincear Cokes, 19
Charged in Franklin County Municipal Court case 2026 CR A 014987 with 20 felony counts tied to the church shooting, including 16 counts of felonious assault with a weapon or ordnance, felony discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises, carrying a concealed weapon with a dangerous ordnance specification, receiving stolen property, and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for September 11 in courtroom 4D. Court records state witnesses identified a recovered gun as belonging to Cokes and one witness identified him as the shooter. He was observed in a light gray hoodie getting into another vehicle that was later stopped.
Police have asked anyone with information to contact Columbus police or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers.
All four remain presumed innocent. The charges are allegations that have not been proven in court. Additional court dates are pending in Franklin County Municipal Court and Common Pleas Court.
