David Allen Jr., a 19-year-old White man from Bellaire, Ohio, was a young life lost to a senseless act of violence. Friends and family remembered him after his death on April 27, 2024, and a fundraiser was started to help honor his memory.
The fatal encounter occurred that evening at the Francis Wallace Apartments, where both Allen and his killer lived. According to the Bellaire Police Department, the shooting was the culmination of a day of arguments between two groups of friends.
The report stated that Allen was defending his friends, who claimed that 21-year-old Brian Alexis Melott had been waving a gun at them. Conversely, Melott told police that Allen’s friends had been harassing him and his own friends earlier in the day. Allen, who was unarmed, confronted Melott near an apartment entrance. He reportedly ran up to Melott, took off his hoodie, and "flexed." Melott later told investigators he thought Allen was going to hit him, so he fired a single shot from his hip. The bullet struck Allen in the chest, and he died at the scene.
Immediately after the shooting, Melott attempted to flee, but another resident held him at gunpoint until police arrived. Officers took Melott into custody, and during an interview, he admitted to being the one who pulled the trigger. Police Chief J.J. Watson noted that the gun Melott used had been legally purchased not long after he turned 21.
Melott was arrested and initially held on a $1 million bond. In June 2024, he was indicted in connection with Allen's death. The case progressed through the Belmont County court system, with Melott’s defense attorneys initially claiming he had acted in self-defense.
In November 2024, Melott accepted a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a firearm specification and two counts of tampering with evidence. At the hearing, Allen's family gave statements about their profound loss. Belmont County Common Pleas Court Judge John Vavra sentenced Melott to a prison term of 20 to 25.5 years. Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan called the killing "an absolutely senseless act," adding, "We have a young man that lost his life and another going to prison for decades." With the sentencing, the criminal case was closed as of November 2024.
