Gun test leads to arrest for 2023 Gahanna road rage shooting of infant
GAHANNA, Ohio (WCMH) — Police in Gahanna said they recognized similarities in a man and his car during a traffic stop, eventually leading them to arrest him for a months-old shooting on Thursday.
An officer pulled over Rickey R. Hill, 19, on Oct. 5 for speeding in a 2014 Ford Fiesta, according to the Gahanna Division of Police. They noted that Hill didn’t have a valid driver’s license, and while searching the car, they found a loaded handgun underneath the driver’s seat.
The officer arrested Hill on a charge of improper handling of a firearm, since he was not old enough to own a handgun legally. While reviewing the arrest report, detectives noticed similarities between the car Hill was driving and one involved in an Aug. 17 shooting on Interstate 270. They also noted his appearance was similar to suspect descriptions given by a victim and a witness.
The shooting a month prior stemmed from a road rage incident, where Gahanna police said Hill shot a 25-year-old man and a 1-year-old infant as they were traveling on the highway. Both victims survived their injuries with treatment from local hospitals.
The detectives sent Hill’s handgun to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, where lab tests confirmed one of the bullets found during the shooting came from Hill’s firearm. Gahanna police then arrested Hill again on Thursday and charged him with two counts of felonious assault.
Hill was arraigned Saturday in Franklin County Municipal Court, where he was given $500,000 cash or surety bond. Should Hill post his bond, he is required to stay away from guns and not engage in any violent acts.
He is scheduled to return to court on March 8. As of Saturday afternoon, he remained in custody in Franklin County Jail.
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