COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a recent sentencing in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, 23-year-old Nicholas Kesterson was given a 10 to 13-year prison term after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection to the killing of a 21-year-old man in February 2023.
The tragic incident unfolded on February 18, 2023, when authorities responded to a call at North Ninth Street in the early hours of the morning. Upon arrival, they discovered James Shearer, 21, with a gunshot wound. Despite efforts to save him, Shearer was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after.
Following the shooting, a vehicle attempted to flee the scene but crashed into multiple parked cars and a fire hydrant on East 11th Avenue. Subsequently, two individuals exited the vehicle and attempted to escape, only to be apprehended by law enforcement.
The driver of the car involved in the chaotic aftermath, later identified as Kesterson, was promptly taken into custody and charged with murder. Through initial investigations, Columbus police determined that an altercation between Kesterson and Shearer precipitated the tragic shooting.
In a subsequent legal proceeding, Kesterson opted to plead guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter, along with a three-year firearm specification. The sentencing marked a conclusion to a distressing chapter in the lives of the families affected by this senseless act of violence.