Andrew Combs, a 21-year-old White man from the Milo-Grogan neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, was remembered by loved ones as kind and funny. In December 2022, he was just weeks away from becoming a father, as his girlfriend, Victoria Perez, was pregnant with their child.
Just before midnight on December 13, 2022, Andrew and his girlfriend stopped at a Sunoco gas station on West Broad Street after finishing their Christmas shopping.
According to Columbus police, Andrew was shot while trying to intervene and help a friend who was being robbed at the station. At least three masked individuals were reportedly involved in the incident. Andrew was shot at least four times and rushed by medics to Grant Medical Center, where he died shortly after arriving.
The investigation by the Columbus Division of Police led to several arrests. A week after the shooting, authorities arrested David Johnson III and charged him with murder. Johnson had been mistakenly released from a Franklin County jail on other charges due to what was described as "human error." Over the following months, police also arrested two teenagers in connection with Andrew’s death: 16-year-old Dreyton Johnson and 17-year-old William Armstead Jr., who was located and arrested in Cincinnati. Both teens were initially charged with delinquency counts of murder and robbery.
Dreyton Johnson and William Armstead Jr. later pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for their roles in the death of Andrew Combs. Both were sentenced to prison. As of late 2023, police stated they were still searching for a third suspect involved in the robbery and shooting.
On the first anniversary of Andrew’s death, his family filed a civil lawsuit against Sunoco, alleging that the company had failed to implement adequate security measures at a gas station with a known history of violent crime. Andrew's mother, Deborah Combs, has spoken publicly about the deep grief her family has endured. "I’m never going to hear 'I love you'," she said. "I’m never going to say 'I love you'." Following the convictions and sentencing of two of the individuals responsible, the case is considered solved.
