COLUMBUS, Ohio — UPDATE: The Columbus Division of Police said charges have been dropped against Johnson in connection to a gas station fatal shooting. The update can be read here.
A previous version of this story is below:
A Columbus man who weeks ago was mistakenly released from a Franklin County jail has been charged in a deadly gas station shooting that occurred late Tuesday night.
According to a search warrant affidavit obtained by 10TV, detectives believe David Johnson III is one of three suspects involved in the attempted robbery and shooting death of 21-year-old Andrew Combs outside a Sunoco in west Columbus.
One of the other suspects has also been identified and warrants are out for both their arrests.
Franklin County Municipal Court records say Johnson and 18-year-old Caiden Allen have both been charged with murder.
Despite facing charges in connection with two previous deaths, Johnson was set free from the Jackson Pike Franklin County Correction Center on Nov. 29 due to "human error," according to a Franklin County judge. The deadly gas station shooting on West Broad Street occurred two weeks later.
A witness told detectives an altercation occurred during a robbery attempt inside Sunoco and Combs was pushed outside the front door.
According to the affidavit, all three suspects pulled out a handgun and at least one fired shots at Combs as he was lying defenseless on the ground.
"The last thing I saw was him coming out with his vape and they shot him at least four times. I got out of the car and the suspects started running," said Combs' girlfriend Victoria Perez, who is pregnant with his child.
"I held his hand, he kept screaming 'I'm going to die, I'm going to die.' I just kept screaming I need help."
Court records state that an officer with the Columbus Division of Police was able to identify Johnson and Allen as two of the three suspects in surveillance video obtained by detectives.
In April 2021, the Columbus police said Johnson got into a fight inside a house, shot and killed a man and injured a woman. Judge Jaiza Paige presided over the case. She set a bond, which Johnson paid and was placed on house arrest.
On Nov. 18, 2022, Johnson's 1-year-old son was found unresponsive inside his residence while he was sleeping. According to court documents, Columbus police officers found large amounts of fentanyl, meth and cocaine inside the house.
In the documents, Johnson admitted to selling and possessing the drugs.
The Franklin County Coroner ruled the baby died from a drug overdose and Johnson was charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Paige said "an administrative error occurred in the filing of the document revoking his bond such that the jail was not notified and that is likely why he was released."