CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A 20-year-old Chillicothe man was arrested after police say he fired a gun during a confrontation outside an East Main Street residence late Thursday night, prompting a felony charge of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation.
According to the Chillicothe Police Department, officers were dispatched around 11:20 p.m. on July 31 to the East Main Street area after multiple reports of gunfire. Several officers responded and began interviewing witnesses at the scene.
One resident told officers a group of people had arrived at the residence and became involved in a fight with a family member. During the altercation, the witness said he heard a gunshot and saw a man later identified as Lamont Osmund Taylor, 20, enter a black Jeep and leave westbound on East Main Street. Another individual reportedly fled through a nearby alley.
A second resident told officers he had been messaging an acquaintance about coming to the home when an argument broke out. According to the report, a loud black Jeep pulled up, and a man identified as Symonte Finch exited the vehicle and approached the residence, where a physical fight ensued.
During the confrontation, the resident said he heard a gunshot and saw a bullet pass near him. He told investigators he then looked up and observed Taylor pointing a handgun in the direction of those gathered before throwing the firearm back into the Jeep and leaving the scene.
A third resident reported receiving a threatening message before the incident. She told officers that after learning a group was coming to the residence to fight, she messaged Sahkiya Martin, 20, who allegedly responded by threatening to “put a bullet between her eyes.” The resident told officers she believed the threat was credible given the shooting that followed. Police said the messages were later deleted.
Investigators were later advised to watch for several vehicles connected to the incident, including a black Jeep, a silver SUV and a tan-colored vehicle. Officers located the silver SUV and identified its occupants as Caitlynn Carr, Symonte Finch, Aden Yusuf, Lamont Taylor and two additional individuals.
Taylor was detained and advised of his Miranda rights. According to the report, he denied being at the East Main Street residence, and the other occupants of the SUV also denied being there. One occupant told officers she had picked the group up about 45 minutes earlier near Scioto Avenue and claimed Taylor had been with her for several hours.
Police searched the SUV and recovered a face mask soaked with sweat but did not locate a firearm. Officers were also unable to locate the black Jeep allegedly involved in the incident. A search of the shooting scene did not uncover shell casings or bullet damage.
Despite the lack of physical evidence recovered at the scene, investigators arrested Taylor on a charge of Improperly Discharging a Firearm at or Into a Habitation, a second-degree felony under Ohio law. He was booked into the Ross County Jail shortly after 1 a.m. on Aug. 1.
The police report also states that investigators requested a warrant for Martin on a charge of Aggravated Menacing stemming from the alleged threats made prior to the shooting.
Taylor was scheduled to appear in Chillicothe Municipal Court on Aug. 3. As of Aug. 3, public jail records no longer listed him as being in custody at the Ross County Jail. Court records available online had not yet reflected additional case information, noting that posting delays may occur.
The investigation remains ongoing
