Chillicothe police arrested a 20-year-old man early August 1, 2026, on a charge of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation following reports of gunfire the previous night in the East Main Street area.
According to the Chillicothe Police Department, officers were dispatched around 11:20 p.m. on July 31, 2026, to a residence in the East Main Street area for a report of gunfire. Multiple officers responded. The primary officer arrived and began speaking with residents at the scene.
One resident told officers that a group of individuals had been involved in a fight outside the home with a family member. The resident said he heard a gunshot and then saw a man later identified as Lamont Osmund Taylor get into a black Jeep and drive west on East Main Street. Another individual ran through a nearby alley, the resident reported.
A second resident described messaging an acquaintance about coming over when an argument developed. He said a loud Jeep arrived, a man identified as Symonte Finch jumped out and approached, and a physical fight began. The resident stated he then heard a gunshot and saw a bullet pass near him. He looked up and observed Taylor holding a gun pointed in their direction before Taylor threw the gun into the Jeep, got in, and drove away west on Main Street, according to the report.
A third resident told officers she had been contacted by a family member about the group arriving to fight. She said she messaged a 20-year-old woman, Sahkiya Martin, who replied with a threat to put a bullet between her eyes. The resident stated she believed the threat was credible because of the incident that had just occurred at the home and that the messages were later deleted.
Officers were also advised of vehicles matching descriptions from the scene, including a black Jeep, a silver SUV, and a tan vehicle observed traveling south on High Street. They located the silver SUV and made contact with its occupants, who included Caitlynn Carr, Symonte Finch, Aden Yusuf, Lamont Taylor, and two other individuals. Officers detained Taylor and advised him of his Miranda rights. Taylor told officers he had not been at the East Main Street location. The other individuals also stated they had not been there. One occupant said she had picked the group up roughly 45 minutes earlier off Scioto Avenue and that Taylor had been with her for several hours.
Officers searched the silver SUV and found a face mask that was soaked in sweat. They did not locate a firearm. Officers were unable to locate the black Jeep. A search of the area where the shooting was reported to have occurred turned up no shell casings or bullet holes.
Taylor, age 20, was placed under arrest and booked into the Ross County Jail on the charge of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, a second-degree felony under Ohio Revised Code 2923.161. The police report states that a warrant was requested for Sahkiya Martin, age 20, on a charge of aggravated menacing.
Taylor was turned over to jail staff with a scheduled court appearance noted for August 3 at 9 a.m. at Chillicothe Municipal Court in Ross County. According to the Miami Valley Jails public roster, Taylor was booked into Ross County Jail shortly after 1 a.m. on August 1 with the charge listed and no bond entered at the time of the available booking information.
As of August 3, 2026, public checks of the Miami Valley Jails roster no longer listed Taylor as currently in custody at Ross County Jail. Online public access to Chillicothe Municipal Court dockets notes potential delays of at least 24 hours or longer between filings and posting, and specific case details for this matter were not immediately available through the public search interface.
This account is drawn solely from the official Chillicothe Police Department incident report and publicly available jail roster information. Charges are accusations. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Journalists and the public may request further official records through appropriate channels under Ohio public records law.
