Kiara Nelson was an 18-year-old White woman from Dublin, Ohio, remembered by those who knew her as outgoing, caring, and bubbly. A protective sister and aunt, she had worked as a waitress and held aspirations of one day becoming a nurse.
In the early morning hours of June 22, 2024, Kiara’s life was cut short. Columbus police were called to the Karric Place of Dublin apartments on O'Sweeney Lane at 12:22 a.m. for a reported shooting. Inside one of the apartments, they found Kiara suffering from a gunshot wound. According to investigators, a domestic dispute had broken out between two other people inside the residence. When Kiara attempted to intervene, a firearm was discharged, and she was struck.
Emergency medics rushed Kiara to Riverside Methodist Hospital in critical condition. Despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m.
The community, which residents described as typically quiet and tight-knit, was left in shock by the violent incident.
In the days that followed, law enforcement identified and arrested a suspect. Mika Lee Cannon, a 22-year-old man, was charged with murder. Court records stated that Cannon was seen leaving the apartment hurriedly after Kiara was shot. He made his first court appearance in Franklin County Municipal Court on June 25, 2024, where a judge set his bond at $2 million.
The case proceeded through the Franklin County court system. On April 17, 2025, Mika Cannon was sentenced by Common Pleas Court Judge Bill Sperlazza to serve 12 to 16 years in prison for his role in Kiara Nelson's death.
