Keshawna Macala Ximines, a 26-year-old woman of Canadian ethnicity, tragically passed away on January 31, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio. She was born on November 16, 1994, in Ontario, Canada. On the night of January 30, 2021, Keshawna was shot at a home on Bufflehead Drive in the north Columbus neighborhood. She was critically injured and taken to Mount Carmel East Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased the following morning.
Columbus police filed an arrest warrant for 24-year-old Taashan
Smith, charging him with reckless homicide in connection with Keshawna's death. According to court documents, Smith claimed that Keshawna shot herself with his gun. However, the autopsy revealed that Keshawna did not die from a close-range gunshot, leading the Franklin County Coroner's Office to rule her death a homicide.
The investigation into Keshawna's death involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including Columbus police and the Franklin County Coroner's Office. Detectives worked diligently to gather evidence and build a case against Smith. The case drew significant attention from the community, with police urging anyone with information about Smith's whereabouts to come forward.
Despite the tragic circumstances, Keshawna's memory lives on through the love and support of her family and friends. A candlelight vigil and rose release were held in her honor at Hoover Reservoir Park, where loved ones gathered to remember her and offer condolences to her family.
The case against Taashan Smith continued to unfold as detectives sought to bring him to justice for Keshawna's untimely death. The community remained hopeful that justice would be served, and that Keshawna's family would find some measure of peace in the wake of their loss.
