Zharrick Marquel Niece, a 31-year-old Black male, died after a shooting inside a residence in northeast Columbus, Ohio, on May 30, 2026. Police said the call came in just after 1:35 p.m. for a shooting in the 2700 block of Wedge Street. When officers arrived, they found Niece unresponsive inside the front room of the home, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
Emergency responders rushed Niece to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, but the attempt to save him did not succeed.
He was pronounced dead at 2:11 p.m. Police later identified him publicly after next of kin had been notified, and the case was listed by Columbus police as a homicide.
The shooting appeared to unfold inside the home near the kitchen, living room, and front-door area. Investigators said there may have been five or six people inside the residence at the time. Officials said everyone believed to be involved remained at the scene, and several people were detained or interviewed as detectives tried to piece together what happened in the moments before the gunfire.
Early information from police suggested the violence may have followed a fight. Investigators also said the case did not appear to be domestic violence-related. Officers noted that drugs may have been involved based on items seen at the scene, and detectives were reviewing security camera footage from cameras at the home to better understand the sequence of events.
As of the available reports, Columbus police had not publicly named a suspect, announced an arrest, or listed criminal charges in Niece’s death. Police said all individuals of interest had been located and either detained or interviewed, and they were investigating the shooting as a potential case of self-defense. Once the investigation is completed, police said the case is expected to be submitted to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office for grand jury review.
The lack of an immediate arrest appears tied to the self-defense question rather than an unidentified fleeing suspect. Authorities said there was no ongoing threat to the community after the shooting, but the investigation remained open. Detective Rowlands was identified as the lead detective, assisted by Detective Journey, and police asked anyone with information to contact the Columbus Police Homicide Unit or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers.
