U.S. Marshals arrest wanted fugitive in connection to east Columbus murder

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – A second arrest has been made in connection to a fatal shooting that occurred last month in southeast Columbus.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Southern Division of Ohio, authorities arrested a wanted fugitive, who is suspected of murdering 28-year-old Michael Simmons in the Walnut Heights Neighborhood.

Thursday morning, deputies arrested 18-year-old Dwayne Johnson, who is accused of killing Simmons outside of the Amberly Square Apartments, near the Noe Bixby Road and Refugee Road intersection, on Aug. 8. CPD officers found Simmons suffering from multiple gunshot wounds before pronouncing him dead at 7:22 p.m.

At the time of the shooting, police did not have any suspect information, but an investigation resulted in an arrest made two weeks later, when the U.S. Marshals Office announced it had 18-year-old Isaiah Wharton Howard in custody.

A U.S. Marshals release had earlier reported that Wharton-Howard and Simmons allegedly had an altercation before Wharton-Howard, 18, shot and killed Simmons. Recent court documents now allege that after the altercation, Wharton-Howard fired shots at Simmons , who attempted to flee the area. Police said Johnson then chased after Simmons and fatally shot him.

Police used multiple video recordings during the investigation, which was picked up by the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team. Johnson was arrested Thursday morning at the intersection of Lockbourne Road and East Stewart Avenue in the Deshler Park neighborhood, approximately eight miles from the shooting.

Johnson has been charged with murder and awaits an arraignment hearing in Franklin County Municipal Court.

Wharton-Howard, who was located in Sandusky, Ohio, has since pleaded not guilty in common pleas court to two counts of murder and one count of felonious assault. He was issued a $1.5 million bond on Sept. 3.

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