Josie Papay Kamara was a 27-year-old Black man described by those who knew him as quiet and kind. Originally from Randolph, Massachusetts, where he had attended Randolph High School, Josie was a beloved brother. "I really love my brother," his brother Francis Kamara later said. "It's really heartbreaking."
On the morning of February 21, 2021, Josie was at a small party with about eight other people inside a townhome in the North Linden neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio.
The gathering was taking place at an apartment located at 3572 Greenwich Street. Around 4:30 a.m., an argument broke out among the party-goers. The dispute escalated, and someone opened fire inside the apartment, striking Josie.
Columbus Police officers responded to a call about a shooting at approximately 4:22 a.m. They found Josie inside the apartment, suffering from a serious gunshot wound. Medics transported him to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead shortly after 8:00 a.m. His brother, Francis, who had been at the party but left before the violence erupted, rushed to the scene after learning his brother was shot. "I'm sad and hurt," he told reporters. Josie's death was recorded as the 31st homicide of the year in Columbus.
The Columbus Police Homicide Section launched an investigation, detaining and questioning other people who had been at the party. Nearly six months later, on August 11, 2021, the investigation led to an arrest. Police took 17-year-old Nuur Ali Hassan into custody and charged him with murder for his role in the fatal shooting. The case concluded when Hassan later accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to serve between four and six years in prison.
