On the evening of May 8, 2025, Columbus Police Officers responded to a shooting incident in the 4000 block of Carlton Avenue in Columbus, Ohio. Upon arrival, officers discovered Terrance Spellman, an 18-year-old Black male, suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel transported Spellman to Mount Carmel East Hospital in critical condition, where he was later pronounced deceased at 8:53 PM.
According to statements provided to detectives, Terrance Spellman, an 18-year-old Black male, was in the front room of an apartment at 4036 Carlton Avenue along with two other individuals, one of whom was identified as Donnie Pernell Walls Jr., an 18-year-old Black male. The three were reportedly friends and were handling multiple firearms at the time of the incident. Walls was recklessly handling one of the firearms when it unintentionally discharged, fatally striking Spellman.
Following the shooting, Walls and the other unnamed individual carried Terrance Spellman, an 18-year-old Black male, outside and left his body in a nearby parking lot. They then returned to the apartment and called 911, providing false statements to the emergency operator regarding the circumstances of the incident. After an investigation, detectives charged Donnie Pernell Walls Jr., an 18-year-old Black male, with reckless homicide for causing Spellman’s death. Walls was subsequently arrested and is currently incarcerated in the Franklin County Jail.
Authorities have urged anyone with additional information regarding the case to contact Detective Polgar at the Columbus Police Department or reach out to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers. The investigation remains ongoing as law enforcement continues to gather evidence and statements related to the tragic incident.
