One killed, two injured in shooting after fight

A man celebrating his 32nd birthday was fatally shot and two other people were injured early Thursday after a dispute at an East Side nightclub spilled outside and shots were fired.

The incident occurred around 2 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of South Hamilton Road and East Livingston Avenue on the city's East Side.

Columbus police said a fight or argument inside the Next Level Lounge, located at 1381 S. Hamilton Road, literally carried over into the next level outside the club.

An initial report to police indicated there were people with guns in the area. When officers arrived, they found two people had been shot. Both were taken by medics to nearby hospitals, where one of the victims died.

The man who was killed has been identified as Billy Joe White, of the South Side. White, whose 32nd birthday was Wednesday, is the city's sixth homicide victim of 2022, police said.

A third victim arrived at a Columbus hospital in a private vehicle. The two injured victims, ages 31 and 65 years old, are expected to survive.

According to social media posts on White's Facebook page, he was bowling with friends four hours before he was killed.

The area where the shooting took place is outside a strip mall where Next Level Lounge and Zara Restaurant and Bar are located adjacent to one another.

Columbus police reports reviewed by The Dispatch show a non-fatal shooting occurred at the strip mall on Aug. 12, when a 43-year-old man was wounded by gunfire.

Other reports show at least four other fights or assaults have been reported there since June 2021. A report from July 15 indicated at least one shot had been fired in the area, but no one appeared to have been injured.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461TIPS.

bbruner@dispatch.com