Columbus Police Nab Suspect Who Killed Student Near Frat House

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The suspect responsible for shooting and killing an Ohio State University student outside a University District frat house was arrested over the weekend.

Columbus police discovered the body of 23-year-old Chase Meola in the parking area of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house at the corner of Indianola Avenue after 2:00 a.m. Sunday.

Meola, a fifth-year marketing major from Mahwah, New Jersey, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Columbus Dispatch reported, citing a statement from the University.

Ohio State’s neighborhood safety notice said Meola’s death stemmed from an altercation that happened outside after guests were asked to leave a house party. It was here that 18-year-old Kinte Mitchell, Jr. shot Meola and fled on foot, according to The Lantern.

This image shows a pair of handcuffs at the Commissariat de Police Nationale (National Police Station) in Alfortville, France, Nov. 21, 2016. Photo: THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images

The University extended its condolences to the friends and family of Meola and encouraged those who are in need of support to call the school’s counseling services.

The suspect was later arrested after police located him several blocks away. Mitchell, Jr. was “positively identified” as the shooter and charged with murder. He will be arraigned Tuesday morning, the outlet added.

Sergeant James Fuqua said they are trying to determine what brought Mitchell, Jr. to the party considering that he was not a student of the University. The Columbus Police spokesperson added that they have questioned several other people, but no other charges have been filed.

No other injuries were reported, said the Columbus Dispatch.

“We’re going to continue to gather the facts to figure out why he was there and again not only what led him to a house on campus, but what led him specifically to that gathering and that party,” Fuqua told The Lantern.

Phi Kappa Psi Executive Director Ronald K. Ransom III said in an email Sunday that Meola is not a member of the fraternity, while facilities surrounding the University serve as boarding houses.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the young man who died as a result of the incident,” wrote Ransom in his email.

In June 2018, OSU revoked the fraternity’s student organization status due to hazing and endangering behavior. Phi Kappa Psi is on disciplinary suspension until August 2022.