On the evening of Sunday, December 14, 2025, a violent incident unfolded at the RTA Puritas Rapid Station on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio, disrupting the usual transit operations. Authorities responded to reports of a shooting in the 4200 block of West 150th Street around 7:25 p.m., where they discovered a victim suffering from fatal injuries. Emergency medical personnel arrived shortly thereafter but were unable to save the individual, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim was identified as Benjamin McComas, a 27-year-old White male originally from Avon Lake, who was known in his community as a photographer and an employee at Studio West 117, a hub for the local LGBTQ+ community.
Law enforcement officers from the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Police immediately detained a suspect at the station. The individual, identified as 25-year-old Donnie Allen, was taken into custody at the scene, where police also recovered a firearm. The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Cleveland Division of Police Homicide Unit. Allen was formally charged with aggravated murder, along with additional counts including murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, and having weapons while under disability.
The circumstances surrounding the suspect’s presence at the station drew significant public scrutiny and criticism from local city officials. Investigators revealed that Allen had been released from the Cuyahoga County Jail just five days prior to the shooting. He had been arrested on December 4 for separate offenses, including drug possession, vandalism, and breaking and entering. Court records indicated that a nonprofit organization, The Bail Project, had posted a portion of his reduced bond, securing his release on December 9. This revelation prompted members of the Cleveland City Council to demand a thorough investigation into the judicial decisions that allowed Allen to be free pending his previous trial.
Following his arrest for the death of McComas, Allen appeared in Cleveland Municipal Court where a judge set his bond at $1 million. During his arraignment, he entered a plea of not guilty to the charges brought against him. The court ordered him to have no contact with the victim’s family, and he remained in custody with a pretrial hearing scheduled for early January 2026.
