Amari G. Cross was taken into custody without incident after homicide detectives obtained an arrest warrant in a five-month-old fatal shooting investigation.
COLUMBUS, OH – A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Samir Mayes, who was killed in Columbus five months ago. The Columbus Division of Police announced that SWAT officers took Amari G. Cross into custody Monday, October 26, after homicide detectives filed an arrest warrant.
Mayes was shot in the 4000 block of Migration Lane during the early morning hours of May 20. Police found him suffering from a gunshot wound, and he was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
The arrest marks a major development in a homicide investigation dating back to the spring. Police have not disclosed a possible motive or explained what evidence led detectives to identify Cross as the suspect.
Samir Mayes Fatally Shot on Migration Lane in May
According to the Columbus Division of Police, officers were dispatched to the 4000 block of Migration Lane at approximately 4:13 a.m. Wednesday, May 20.
The call concerned a shooting.
Responding officers located Samir Mayes suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency personnel transported him to a hospital for treatment.
Despite those efforts, Mayes was pronounced dead at 4:55 a.m., approximately 42 minutes after officers were initially dispatched.
The police department did not specify where Mayes was wounded or describe the circumstances surrounding the gunfire.
Investigators also did not disclose whether the shooting occurred inside a building, outside a residence or elsewhere along Migration Lane.
The department’s latest announcement did not provide Mayes’ age or indicate whether he knew the person accused of killing him.
Five-Month Investigation Leads to SWAT Arrest
The homicide investigation continued for more than five months before detectives announced a murder charge.
On Monday, October 26, investigators filed an arrest warrant for Amari G. Cross, 19, according to police.
The warrant charged Cross with murder in connection with Mayes’ death.
Columbus Police SWAT personnel subsequently located and arrested Cross without incident.
Police did not disclose where the arrest took place or whether Cross was armed when officers apprehended him.
The department also did not explain what investigative developments preceded the decision to seek the arrest warrant.
No information about additional suspects or arrests was included in the announcement.
The murder charge is an allegation, and Cross is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Police Continue Seeking Information About Fatal Shooting
Although Cross has been arrested, Columbus homicide detectives are continuing to request information about the May 20 killing.
Anyone with information can contact the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730.
Tips can also be submitted to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477).
The department’s public announcement includes photographs associated with the case.
Police have not announced a court date, bond determination or additional charges in the information provided.
The October 26 arrest shifts the case from an investigation without a publicly announced suspect to a criminal prosecution involving a 19-year-old defendant.
For Mayes’ family, the development comes more than five months after his death. The judicial process will now determine whether prosecutors can establish the murder allegation against Cross.