COLUMBUS, Ohio — The father of a man who was shot and killed in Franklin County last month wants justice for his son's death.
The sheriff’s office received a 911 call on the evening of July 7 for a report of shots fired in the area of Cross-Key Apartments on Chatterton Road.
The shooting claimed the life of 21-year-old Christopher Roberts Jr.
“CJ was my baby boy,” said Christopher Roberts Sr. “That's my twin. Everybody tells me that's my twin.”
Surveillance video shows two men shooting. CJ was shot and died from his injuries.
“He was walking to the store and along the way to the store, another young man joined him. When this young man joined him, they got ambushed at a store,” Roberts Sr. said.
The sheriff's office is on pace to have more cases this year than they have in the last four with nine cases for the entire year in 2018. The agency is up to eight already this year
Roberts Sr. said his son did not know who the shooters were and that they were likely targeting the man with him.
No arrests have been made, but Roberts Sr. said he forgives his son’s killers.
“If I faced them right now I would tell them the same thing, just be a man and face what you've done. I forgive you,” he said.
Roberts said it's painful to bury a child, especially since CJ's mom had a heart attack after the homicide.
But he says he recently had a great father-son talk on the back porch recently CJ told him he believed in God.
“That really made me feel OK to know that he was at peace with God,” Roberts, Sr. said.
The sheriff's office released surveillance photos of a group of men who are involved with Roberts' death.
If you have any information, you are asked to call the Franklin County Sheriff's Office at 614-525-3351. Callers can remain anonymous.