Terell McGraw

Terell Devon McGraw was a 28-year-old Black man from Lima, Ohio, whose life was cut short in a burst of violence in the winter of 2020. Remembered by those who loved him, his death was part of a tragic event that claimed two other lives and left the community in shock.

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, February 4, 2020, chaos erupted at Levels Lounge, a downtown bar at 122 E. North St. in Lima. At approximately 2:04 a.m., Lima Police Department officers responded to reports of a shooting. Inside the establishment, they discovered the bodies of Terell McGraw and 24-year-old Devontae Upshaw. A third man, 25-year-old Timothy White, was found deceased on the sidewalk outside between two businesses. All three men had died from gunshot wounds. The incident was the city's first multiple homicide since 2002.

The investigation that followed pieced together the violent sequence of events. Court testimony and documents later revealed that the incident began inside the crowded bar when Timothy White confronted and shot Devontae Upshaw. As Upshaw fell, White stood over him and fired additional rounds. During this initial shooting, White also fatally shot his own brother, Terell McGraw. After killing both men, White reportedly shouted threats at other patrons, including Deontray Forrest, before exiting the bar.

Forrest then followed White outside into an adjacent parking lot. An exchange of gunfire occurred, and White was fatally wounded, shot in the chest and legs. His body was discovered by a sheriff's deputy in a walkway leading from the parking lot. Prosecutors would later state that all four men involved had affiliations with "warring factions" in Lima.

In the immediate aftermath, the Lima Police Department identified Deontray Forrest, then 24, as a suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of murder. Forrest eluded law enforcement for nearly two months. A joint effort between Lima detectives and the U.S. Marshals Service tracked him to an apartment in Cleveland. On March 31, 2020, members of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Forrest without incident. He was extradited back to Allen County to face charges.

Forrest was indicted on two counts of murder and one count of felonious assault, all with firearm and gang specifications, as well as a charge of having weapons under disability. The murder charges were specifically for causing the death of Timothy White. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

In May 2023, after a four-day trial, an Allen County jury deliberated for three hours before finding Deontray Forrest guilty on all counts related to the shooting. His defense attorney had argued that Forrest acted in self-defense, fearing for his own life and that of a friend after White's rampage inside the bar. The jury rejected this claim. Forrest was sentenced to a prison term of 24 years to life. Court proceedings clarified that Forrest was prosecuted and convicted only for the murder of Timothy White, who had shot and killed Terell McGraw and Devontae Upshaw.

The triple homicide prompted swift action from city officials, who immediately took legal steps to permanently shut down Levels Lounge, calling the violence "unacceptable." The case left three families grieving and a community searching for answers. As of May 2023, the criminal case against Deontray Forrest for his role in the night's events is closed, bringing a measure of legal resolution to a violent and tragic chapter in the city's history.