COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man was indicted Friday on multiple counts of murder following a deadly shooting at a downtown Columbus nightclub in June.
A Franklin County grand jury indicted 26-year-old Jaquez Hoover on four counts of murder, two counts each of aggravated murder, attempted murder, and felonious assault and one count each of improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle and carrying a concealed weapon. All but two counts carry a firearm specification.
During an arraignment on Monday, a judge decided to hold Hoover without bond.
On June 14, officers were called to Aura nightclub, formerly known as Avalon, on North 5th Street for a reported shooting and found four people shot. Two victims, 27-year-old Desmond Taylor and 36-year-old Ceilin Smith, died from gunshot wounds, according to the Columbus Division of Police. Both Smith and Taylor worked as security guards. The other two victims survived.
Hoover was identified as a suspect after investigators reviewed the surveillance video. He was arrested in southeast Columbus by U.S. Marshals on Aug. 29.
Police believe the shooting may have stemmed from an altercation inside the nightclub.
The City of Columbus filed a motion seeking to close the nightclub one month after the shooting happened.
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein’s office says the Columbus Division of Police has received approximately 28 calls for service at the property, including multiple fights and two shootings.
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