Tragic Accident: Columbus Man Charged in Involuntary Manslaughter After Fatal Shooting
Kenneth Hairston told Columbus police homicide detectives that a gun he was holding inadvertently fired on Sunday after someone slammed it away, killing an 18-year-old woman, according to court documents.
Hairston, 20, of the Northwest Side, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Da’Mya Cummerlander. He is also charged with possessing a weapon under disability, which means he has a past felony record and is not entitled to own a firearm.
At 12:35 a.m. on Sunday, Columbus police got a complaint of a shooting in the 2600 block of Woodsedge Road, off Westerville Road. Cummerlander had a gunshot wound when authorities arrived. At 12:44 a.m., medics pronounced her dead on the scene.
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According to a probable cause affidavit submitted by police, a witness informed homicide detectives that Hairston, Cummerlander, and four other persons were hanging out in a house in the 2600 block of Woodsedge Avenue shortly after the shooting. The witness informed detectives that he heard a gunshot and then looked over to see that Cummerlander was shot. According to the paper, Hairston and everyone else departed the area before police arrived.
According to the affidavit, Hairston and his attorney traveled to Columbus police headquarters on June 3 to interview detectives. Hairston told officers that everyone in the room was drinking and using marijuana while playing with firearms, according to the court record.
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One of the people offered Hairston a Glock semiautomatic pistol and tried to persuade him to trade guns. Hairston told officers that he refused and attempted to return the gun to the individual, but the person struck his hand, causing the revolver to fire and striking Cummerlander, according to the affidavit.
Hairston is being held in the Franklin County Jail and is set to be arraigned Wednesday morning.