Police identify victim, suspect in Sept. 16 homicide
Columbus police homicide detectives have identified two suspects in two of four fatal shootings that occurred within a nine-hour span on Sept. 16, and also have made an arrest in a 2018 case.
Travis Knisley, 23, of Frankfort, which is located in Ross County, also has been identified as the victim found fatally shot in the intersection of East Main Street and South Nelson Road on the Near East Side around 11:45 p.m. on Sept. 16.
According to court records, 29-yearold Xavier Wilks, of the North Side, was identified from surveillance video in the area as being the person who shot Knisley.
Wilks was taken into custody and charged in the homicide on Wednesday.
Knisley was one of four people killed in a nine-hour span on Sept. 16.
Police also have arrested Kaliaf Ivory, 26, in connection with one of those homicides. He was arrested in Pennsylvania earlier this week in connection with the shooting death of 24-year-old Quinten Fuller in the University District.
Fuller, the son of a Columbus police officer, and Ivory had a mutual female acquaintance and court records indicate there had been an ongoing dispute between the two men prior to the shooting.
In addition, detectives have arrested 27-year-old Sharayea Brown, of Leonia, New Jersey, in connection with a 2018 Columbus homicide case.
According to court records, Brown and 49-year-old Martin Wright, of New York City, had robbed and fatally shot 43year-old Donnelle Davenport on Feb. 4, 2018 in the basement of Davenport’s Southeast Side home.
Court records said Brown had been visiting with Davenport at the home, located on the 5300 block of Brayton Avenue, prior to his death. Davenport left the home, according to surveillance footage police obtained from the house, and Wright arrived a short time later. When Davenport returned home, according to the footage, Brown did not tell Davenport that Wright was inside the house and Brown ran from the home shortly after the shooting took place. Wright was also seen on the footage, a short time later, leaving Davenport’s home with bags of Davenport’s personal property.
Neither Brown nor Wright called 911 and both got into waiting vehicles at a nearby intersection, according to court records.
Davenport was found in the basement of the home around 8:30 p.m. by friends who had broken out a window to check on Davenport.
Wright had previously been arrested and held in the Franklin County jail pending his trial, which is scheduled to begin next week, according to court records.
Bethany Bruner is a reporter covering public safety, breaking news and police. bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner