COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 27-year-old Columbus man was found guilty of shooting a 15-year-old pregnant girl, resulting in the death of her unborn child nearly three years ago.
A Franklin County jury concluded that Christopher Payne shot the girl while she was walking with a man in northeast Columbus on Aug. 23, 2020. The incident happened in the area of Joyce and Denune avenues in the Linden area.
They were walking down the street when someone in a passing car began shooting at them.
During the trial, the driver of the vehicle testified that Payne fired his weapon at the man from the backseat of a vehicle, but the teen was hit instead.
The girl was 35 weeks pregnant at the time of the shooting, according to the prosecutor’s office. She survived her injuries, but the baby, Aster Lewis, died following an emergency cesarean section.
Payne was found guilty on the following counts:
- Three counts of murder, with gun and drive-by specifications
- One count of involuntary manslaughter, with gun and drive-by specifications
- Two counts of attempted murder, with gun and drive-by specifications
- Two counts of felonious assault, with gun and drive-by specifications
- Two counts of having a weapon while under a disability
- One count of carrying a concealed weapon
- One count of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle
Payne will be sentenced on May 5. He could face a minimum life prison sentence with the opportunity for parole after 26 years.