Teen Turns Himself In After Double Shooting at Columbus Park

COLUMBUS, Georgia – A 17-year-old suspect has been taken into custody following a shooting that left two people injured at a Columbus park earlier this month.

According to the Columbus Police Department, officers responded to Shirley B. Winston Park on January 18, 2026, at around 6:50 p.m. after receiving reports of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found two males suffering from gunshot wounds. Both victims were transported to Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment. Their current conditions were not released.

Investigators with the department’s Violent Crimes Unit developed probable cause and obtained arrest warrants for Marrell Matthews, 17. Matthews turned himself in to authorities on January 21, 2026.

He is charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime, and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Under 18 Years of Age. Police say Matthews is also facing charges in a separate, unrelated armed robbery that occurred on January 17, 2026.

On January 23, 2026, Matthews appeared in Recorder’s Court, entered not guilty pleas in both cases, and the matters were bound over to Superior Court for further proceedings.

The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.