Larry Scott Knapp Jr., a 30-year-old male from Columbus, OH, tragically passed away on July 2, 2018. He was involved in a fatal incident while attempting to break into an apartment on the East Side of Columbus. Knapp and his accomplice, Seth Phillip Arroyo-Hopper, broke a kitchen window of the apartment around 6:15 p.m. Inside the apartment were three teenage boys, one of whom retrieved a handgun and fired at Arroyo-Hopper as he climbed through the window.
The bullet missed Arroyo-Hopper and struck Knapp in the chest.
Knapp was taken to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center by paramedics but was pronounced dead upon arrival. Arroyo-Hopper initially claimed he had stayed in the car while Knapp broke into the apartment, but surveillance video and witness statements contradicted his account. Arroyo-Hopper was charged with murder on August 7, 2018, and held in lieu of a $300,000 bond awaiting arraignment.
The case highlighted the legal principle that individuals can be held criminally responsible for deaths occurring during the commission of a crime, even if there was no intent to cause harm. Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien noted that such cases, though rare, do occur occasionally.
This tragic event underscores the severe consequences of criminal activities and the importance of accountability in the justice system.
