On December 15, 2024, at approximately 2:00 a.m., 21-year-old Kaelan Amerson was fatally shot in Jefferson Township, near Columbus, Ohio. The incident occurred on the 1400 block of Climbing Fig Drive, in proximity to Licking Heights West Elementary School. According to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Amerson and four others were engaged in a drug transaction when 23-year-old Nicko Matthews-Cooper attempted to rob them. During the robbery, Matthews-Cooper allegedly fired multiple shots into the vehicle Amerson was driving, striking him in the upper body.
Despite his injuries, Amerson attempted to flee the scene by driving away but lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road and came to a stop in the yard of a nearby home on Narrow Leaf Drive. He was transported to Mount Carmel East Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Two passengers in Amerson's vehicle also sustained minor injuries from the gunfire.
Following the shooting, Matthews-Cooper fled the scene. Authorities launched a search for him, and he was apprehended on December 17, 2024, at a residence on Keller Place West in Grove City. He has been charged with murder and is currently held in the Franklin County Jail. During his arraignment, bond was set at $1 million.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. They have urged anyone with additional information or surveillance footage related to the case to contact their detective bureau at 614-525-3351.
