Busters Journal

LYING IN THE STREET, CALLING FOR HELP- AND NO ONE TOLD HIS MOTHER UNTIL 6 HOURS LATER

THE MURDER OF DAMON THOMPSON
Columbus, Ohio — April 18, 2026

Damon Thompson was only 22 years old.

He should have had decades ahead of him. More birthdays. More memories with family. More opportunities to build the life he was still just beginning.

Instead, his life ended on a downtown Columbus street, leaving behind a grieving family that says they are still searching for answers—not only about who pulled the trigger, but about what happened in the critical moments afterward.

On the evening of April 18, 2026, Columbus police responded to reports of gunfire in the 300 block of South Grant Avenue near East Mound Street and South Fifth Street.

When officers arrived, they found Damon suffering from a critical gunshot wound.

He was transported to Grant Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 7:14 p.m.

A second victim was also injured during the incident.

According to the Central Ohio Transit Authority, that victim ran onto a COTA bus during a driver's break and told people onboard they had been shot. Emergency crews responded and transported the individual to a hospital in stable condition.

Investigators later stated they believed the shooting stemmed from an attempted robbery.

But for Damon's family, the circumstances surrounding his death remain difficult to accept.

His sisters, Damonneisha and Arieonna, spoke publicly about their heartbreak and frustration in the days that followed.

According to the family, Damon had simply gone downtown to visit his sister.

Instead, they received news that would change their lives forever.

His loved ones also raised concerns about the emergency response, alleging that Damon was left lying in the street calling for help before receiving medical attention.

They further expressed pain over how the family learned of his death.

According to relatives, Damon's mother was not officially notified until approximately 2:00 a.m.—more than six hours after the shooting occurred.

For a family already devastated by loss, those hours felt unbearable.

While investigators worked the scene, officers detained a possible suspect for questioning. However, in the days following the homicide, police reported that no formal arrests had been made and no charges had been filed.

As of the latest public updates, the investigation remains ongoing.

Damon's death marked the 15th homicide in Columbus during 2026.

In response to concerns about violence downtown, city leaders pointed to historically low crime rates while pledging continued investments in security cameras, police presence, and public safety measures.

But statistics do little to comfort the people who loved Damon.

For them, this is not a number.

Not a trend.

Not a headline.

It is a son, a brother, a family member whose life was taken at just 22 years old.

A young man who left home expecting to return.

A family that is now forced to live with an empty seat at every gathering.

And loved ones who continue to hope that someone will come forward with information that can help bring justice.

If you have information regarding the murder of Damon Thompson, please contact the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at (614) 645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS (8477).













© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished

HE WALKED INTO A HOUSE. THIRTY MINUTES LATER, HE WAS LYING DEAD IN THE STREET.

THE MURDER OF ANTHONY LEE TOLBER
Columbus, Ohio — May 28, 2017

A loved one of Anthony Lee Tolber recently reached out to The Vivid Faces of the Vanished, hoping that after years of silence, someone might finally come forward with the truth.

For those who loved Anthony, the pain has never gone away.

Every passing year has brought more questions than answers. Birthdays, holidays, and family gatherings have continued without him, while the people who loved him are still left wondering who took his life and why.

Anthony Lee Tolber was 38 years old.

He was a father of seven children. A son, a friend, and a man whose life mattered to the people who knew and loved him.

According to information shared by his loved one, Anthony was called to the home of someone he knew at 578 Seymour Avenue in Columbus on the night of May 28, 2017.

He parked his vehicle behind the residence and went inside.

That was the last known time anyone close to him saw him alive.

According to his family, Anthony never returned to his car.

Approximately 30 minutes later, he was found lying in the middle of the street near East Fulton Street.

Shortly after 12:21 a.m., Columbus police responded to reports of gunfire on the city's Near East Side. When officers arrived near the 1600 block of East Fulton Street, in front of Good Samaritan Baptist Church, they found Anthony unresponsive in the roadway.

He had been shot.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The details that followed only deepened the family's heartbreak.

According to the autopsy, Anthony died from a close-range gunshot wound to the back of the head. The bullet entered from behind and exited through the front.

His loved ones strongly believe he was killed elsewhere and then left in the street.

"Shot in the back of the head and strongly believed carried out and left in the middle of the street for dead," his loved one shared with The Vivid Faces of the Vanished.

For Anthony's family, the circumstances surrounding his death have never made sense.

Someone knows what happened inside that house.

Someone knows how Anthony went from walking through a doorway to being found dead in the middle of a Columbus street less than an hour later.

Yet nearly a decade has passed without an arrest.

Without charges.

Without justice.

As of 2026, Anthony's murder remains unsolved and is listed in the Ohio Attorney General's Unsolved Homicide Database. Investigators have publicly stated that no suspects have been identified and no motive has been established.

Meanwhile, seven children have grown up without their father.

A family has spent years carrying grief that has never been eased by answers.

And the person responsible has never been held accountable.

Anthony Lee Tolber's loved ones refuse to let his name be forgotten.

They are still searching.

Still waiting.

Still hoping that someone will finally find the courage to speak up.

If you have information regarding the murder of Anthony Lee Tolber, please contact the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS.














© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished

One shot dead in robbery in north Columbus: CPD A shooter killed one person during a robbery on Karl Road in north Columbus, according to the Columbus Police Department.Police responded to report of a shootin

Do you recognize this individual?

We’re looking to identify the male in the photo who reportedly took a wallet at Wendy’s.

If you recognize him or have any information that could help, please contact us directly at 614-237-6333.