It was the early hours of Sunday morning in northeast Columbus when the vibrant heart of a community grew quiet. At approximately 3:30 a.m. on November 2, 2025, officers from the Columbus Division of Police responded to a residence in the 1100 block of Wildwood Avenue, near Brentnell Avenue, where they found 33-year-old Shakeilah White suffering from a gunshot wound. She was rushed to Grant Medical Center, but tragically passed away.
Shakeilah’s sudden loss has sent ripples through her neighborhood and beyond. Those who knew her remember a woman whose laugh lit up rooms, whose kind gestures came naturally, and whose warmth filled the space she occupied. Stories float of her walking beside friends in hard times, offering encouragement when it wasn’t asked, simply because she cared. Her family says she lived to give light to others, and now they’re left trying to carry that light forward in her absence.
Investigators have made progress: a man was detained in connection with the shooting, and while formal homicide charges have yet to be detailed publicly, authorities say he faces weapons-related and tampering charges. The scene on Wildwood Avenue became a focal point for detectives and crime-scene teams gathering evidence, speaking to witnesses, and trying to piece together how a life like Shakeilah’s could be cut down in a quiet residential block just before dawn.
Her passing leaves more than an empty seat. It leaves friends clutching memories of her infectious smile during backyard cookouts, neighbors remembering how she’d stop to ask how someone was doing—then take time to listen. Her siblings, cousins and longtime friends speak of her deep love for her family, the way she sparkled around her nieces and nephews, and how she made the simplest moments feel special: a Sunday lunch, a walk in a neighborhood park, a conversation over coffee.
“I’m still looking for her on the porch, still expecting her laugh to ring out,” one friend shared. “It’s unfair—someone who spread joy this way shouldn’t be taken this way.” Those words echo in the hearts of many who knew her. In her memory, the community is gathering: sharing photos, retelling stories of her compassion, planning a memorial where her warmth can shine back, not just her tragic end.
The message from the Columbus Division of Police is clear: they are urging anyone with information about that early-morning shooting to step forward. With one person already in custody, the next step is uncovering the motive, mapping the timeline and holding those responsible to account. In the meantime, the investigation remains active, and the neighborhood remains on edge.
As the city of Columbus mourns, Shakeilah will not be remembered for only the moment her life was taken—but for the life she lived: generous, bright, caring. Her loved ones say her memory will never fade, and in the sorrow of her absence, they are determined to let her legacy of kindness shine just a little brighter. Gone too soon—but never forgotten.
