COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Division of Police has identified the suspect who reportedly fatally shot a woman in North Linden in February.
Police said 31-year-old Dallas Lowery is charged with murder in the shooting death of 33-year-old Heather Chapman.
Officers responded to the 1700 block of Melrose Avenue on Feb. 22 around 9:15 p.m. for a shooting.
Upon arrival, they found 33-year-old Heather Chapman suffering from a gunshot wound. Medics pronounced her dead at 9:22 p.m.
At the time, homicide detectives were called to the scene to begin an investigation due to suspicious circumstances.
According to a filing in Franklin County Municipal Court, an officer wrote that Lowery initially called police saying Chapman had died by suicide.
As officers investigated, they could not find the gun at the scene.
Police wrote in the affidavit that Chapman initially refused to make a statement but admitted over a phone conversation that he was the only one with Chapman when she was shot.
According to court records, witnesses said that Lowery gave the gun to a friend to get rid of the night of the shooting. Police found the gun with the reported friend and the gun matched the shell casing at the scene.
Police said Chapman’s death is the 16th homicide in Columbus in 2022.
Lowery is currently being held in Delaware County Jail on unrelated charges that stem from an incident in 2021.
Court records show that Lowery pleaded guilty in Aug. 2021 to resisting arrest and spitting on a law enforcement officer.
He was sentenced in Sept. 2021 to two years of community control sanctions.
Records show that he was arrested on April 27 for "failing to abide with community control sanctions" and a Delaware County judge ordered him to be held another 100 days in jail.
A court hearing in Franklin County has yet to be scheduled.
