On May 14, 2023, at approximately 2:45 a.m., Columbus police officers responded to reports of a fight near the intersection of East 1st Avenue and North High Street in the Short North district. As officers approached, they heard gunfire and discovered 21-year-old Arthur Jajuan "Art" Pickens lying in the street with a gunshot wound. He was transported to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:07 a.m.
Following an investigation, authorities identified 19-year-old Quran Boston as a suspect in the shooting. A murder warrant was issued for Boston's arrest on May 19, 2023. After several months, the U.S. Marshals Service apprehended Boston on September 19, 2023, in the 1400 block of East Hudson Street. He was subsequently charged with murder and held in the Franklin County Jail.
Boston appeared in court on September 20, 2023, where a judge set his bond at $1.5 million. On October 22, 2024, Boston pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence in connection with Pickens' death. Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Dan Hawkins sentenced him to a prison term ranging from 14 to 19½ years, the maximum possible sentence for the charges.
Arthur "Art" Pickens was born on September 1, 2001, in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from Central Crossing High School in 2019, where he played football and basketball. He is remembered for his love of working out, playing video games, and, most importantly, his devotion to his daughter, fiancée, parents, sisters, nieces, and nephews. His untimely death was a significant loss to his family and the community.
