On August 20, 2023, 19-year-old Jerome Ari Stephens was fatally shot inside a residence on Erickson Avenue in Whitehall, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. Responding to reports of a shooting around 11:20 p.m., Whitehall police officers found Stephens with a gunshot wound. He was transported to Mount Carmel East Hospital in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries.
Initial accounts suggested a drive-by shooting; however, detectives determined that the incident occurred inside the house. A 16-year-old male present at the scene was arrested and charged with felonious assault, a charge that was upgraded to reckless homicide following Stephens' death. Authorities have not disclosed whether the shooting was intentional or accidental.
Stephens, born on July 23, 2004, in Warren, Ohio, was the son of Tiffanie Lathan-Meridy and Jerome Stephens. He attended Warren JFK and graduated from Whitehall-Yearling High School in Columbus in 2022. He worked at Southern Glazers of Columbus and with his grandfather at Lathan's Cabinets and Construction in Warren. Stephens enjoyed making music, dancing, basketball, and video games, and cherished time with his family and his dog, Bud.
He is survived by his parents; brothers, Marcus Meridy of Warren and Maurice Meridy of Houston, Texas; maternal grandparents, Raymond and Val Lathan of Warren; paternal grandparents, Reverend Gerald and Mary Ann Stephens, and Marguerite Jenkins, all of Columbus; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Funeral services were held on September 2, 2023, at New Jerusalem Fellowship Church in Warren, Ohio.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Stephens' death remains ongoing. Authorities have not released further details regarding the suspect's identity or the events leading up to the shooting.
