Crime
A Columbus man, Gage Smith, has been charged with murder following the fatal shooting of Autumn Ward
A 28-year-old Columbus man, Gage Smith, has been charged with murder following the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Autumn Ward. The incident occurred on Tuesday at an apartment in Columbus.
Smith faces one count of murder in connection with Ward’s death. Authorities have not yet disclosed further details about the circumstances leading up to the shooting.
This case adds to a series of recent fatal shootings in Columbus. In November, 24-year-old James A. Locke was charged with murder in the death of Robert Smith on the city’s East Side.
Additionally, a 21-year-old man was fatally shot in Southeast Columbus on December 22, 2024.
These incidents highlight ongoing concerns about gun violence in the Columbus area. Local authorities continue to investigate these cases to determine the circumstances and motives behind the shootings.
Teresa Youngblut faces federal firearm charges linked to the death of Agent David Maland.
BURLINGTON, Vt. — Teresa Youngblut, a 21-year-old woman from the Seattle area, has entered a not guilty plea to federal firearm charges related to the fatal shooting of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland in Vermont this January.
Youngblut is accused of using a deadly weapon to assault a Border Patrol agent and discharging a firearm during the incident. The charges stem from a traffic stop in northern Vermont that escalated into a shootout, resulting in the deaths of Agent Maland and Youngblut’s companion, Felix Bauckholt, a German citizen.
During a hearing in Burlington on Friday, Youngblut was ordered to remain in custody. Her next court appearance is set for May 8.
Investigators have revealed that the firearm used in the Vermont shooting was purchased by an individual linked to the December 31, 2022, murders of Richard and Rita Zajko in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania. Court documents filed by U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher indicate that Youngblut and the gun buyer were in regular contact with a person of interest detained in connection with the Pennsylvania case, who is also being investigated for a separate homicide in California.
Youngblut, a graduate of the prestigious Lakeside School in north Seattle, had filed for a marriage license in November with Maximilian Snyder. Snyder, who also attended Lakeside School, is currently facing charges for the fatal stabbing of a man in northern California.
According to the FBI, Youngblut and Bauckholt had been under surveillance for several days prior to the January 20 shootout. Prior to the incident, the pair had been renting separate units in the same Chapel Hill, North Carolina, neighborhood. The property owner, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, stated that Bauckholt initially rented a unit through Airbnb in July 2023 before moving to a second unit later that year. Youngblut began renting the original unit in November 2024 and had paid nearly $10,000 to extend her stay through March.
The case continues to unfold as authorities investigate the connections between the Vermont shooting and other violent crimes across the country.