Jerome Steward, a 26-year-old African American man from Columbus, OH, tragically died on July 19, 2020, after being shot on the South Side of Columbus. He was found by officers in the 400 block of Southwood Avenue just east of Parsons Avenue. Despite the efforts of the officers who applied a tourniquet and administered CPR until medics arrived, Steward succumbed to his injuries at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center.
The investigation revealed that witnesses saw the shooter fleeing the scene
in a silver or gray four-door car with Pennsylvania license plates. Based on witness statements and evidence, police issued an arrest warrant for Lason Booker, a 20-year-old man, for the murder of Jerome Steward. Booker was later arrested and charged with the crime.
In court, it was revealed that Steward and Booker had an ongoing dispute. On the day of the shooting, Booker drove by Steward, who was sitting on the front porch of his uncle's home, and returned shortly after to shoot him. Although Booker claimed that Steward flashed a gun at him, no gun was found at the scene, and witnesses contradicted Booker's account. Booker was sentenced to an indefinite prison term of 17 years to 22 ½ years for voluntary manslaughter.
The loss of Jerome Steward deeply affected his family and friends, who described the shooting as senseless and expressed their grief and anger over the senseless act. Steward's parents, Robin Steward and Jerry Perkins, along with his siblings, continue to mourn his loss and seek justice for their beloved Jerome.
