In the early hours of December 2, 2023, a confrontation on a street in northeast Columbus, Ohio, ended the life of 46-year-old Malik Islam. Just after midnight, at approximately 12:10 a.m., Columbus police officers were dispatched to the 2000 block of Cornell Avenue following a report of a shooting. They arrived to find Islam lying in the street with a gunshot wound.
Medics rushed him to a local hospital in critical condition, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Initial police reports indicated that Islam had been conversing with a suspect when he was shot. The investigation soon focused on LaRoy Robinson, then 49, and an arrest warrant was issued for him on December 21. Robinson surrendered to authorities at the Franklin County Jail on December 27, 2023, and was charged with murder. Investigators did not publicly disclose a motive for the shooting.
The case against Robinson proceeded to a jury trial in May 2024. During the trial, evidence showed that Robinson had been sitting in his parked car when Islam approached him and initiated a verbally aggressive confrontation. Robinson testified that he saw Islam reach into a pocket for what he believed was a gun, prompting him to fire a single shot before driving away. The defense argued that Robinson acted in self-defense and presented witnesses who testified that Islam had a reputation for being violent. The jury found Robinson guilty of murder.
In a highly unusual move, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott set aside the jury’s verdict and ordered a new trial. The judge, who had presided over hundreds of jury trials in his career, called it a "rare exceptional case where justice requires a new trial." He explained that he had given the jury improper instructions regarding Ohio's self-defense laws and a person's duty to retreat. Jurors later informed the court that they would not have voted guilty had they been correctly instructed.
For his second trial, Robinson waived his right to a jury, and the case was decided by Judge Serrott in a bench trial. On April 16, 2026, the judge found Robinson not guilty of murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence, ruling that the shooting was a justified act of self-defense. Robinson was, however, convicted of having weapons while under disability due to a prior felony. For that charge, he was sentenced to five years of probation, a $1,000 fine, and court costs. The case was officially closed as of April 2026.
