LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The murder trial for a 37-year-old Lima man is set to move forward after he rejected a plea offer.
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Forrest is charged with two counts of murder and a felonious assault charge, all with criminal gang specifications attached. He is also facing a weapon under disability charge. On February 4th, 2020, Level's Lounge was the site of a gun fight that left Terrell McGraw and Devontae Upshaw dead inside the bar, and Timothy White was found dead on a nearby sidewalk.
2020 was already a difficult year. And for the City of Lima it was an unusual year when it comes to crime. Lima Police Department handled 12 homicides, up from the average 5 murders a year for the last few years. LPD has arrested at least one person in each case.
Jan. 20 Dan Jackson was shot and killed while standing behind pappy’s lounge after the bar had closed. Police believe two teens are responsible and they have since been arrested.
On Feb.4, Levels Lounge was the site of a violent triple murder. A gun fight left Terrell McGraw and Devontae Upshaw dead inside the bar and Timothy White was found dead on a nearby sidewalk. Deontray Forrest has been charged for two of the murders with criminal gang charges attached to them. The bar has since closed.
The Allen County Grand Jury indicted Deontray Forrest with two counts of murder and one count of felonious assault. All three charges carry criminal gang activity and firearm specifications. Forrest was also charged with having a weapon under disability. The Lima Police Department says Forrest was involved with the shooting at Levels Lounge in February where three men were killed. The bodies of Terell McGraw and Devontae Upshaw's were found inside the bar and Timothy White was found dead on the sidewalk near the bar. Forrest went on the run and was arrested by U.S. Marshal's in Cleveland in April. He's being held in the Allen County Jail on a one-million-dollar bond.
The suspect in a February bar shooting in Lima that left three men dead is behind bars. The Lima Police Department said U.S. Marshals found and arrested 24-year-old Deontray Forrest, Wednesday morning in Cleveland. Lima detectives had an arrest warrant for Forrest on suspicion of murder stemming from the February 4 shooting at Levels Lounge. That's where they found three men dead. 28-year-old Terell McGraw and 24-year-old Devontae Upshaw, whose bodies were inside the bar. And 25-year-old Timothy White was found dead on the sidewalk. Forest is sitting in the Cuyahoga County Jail.
Following the death of three men at Levels Lounge early Tuesday morning, the bar has been temporarily closed, with the city looking to close it down permanently. A court order has been granted after the city filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against Levels, citing extreme violence as the determining factor. According to the motion, the bar has been the subject of numerous calls to the Lima Police Department because of ongoing criminal activity.
We have another update on the shooting at Levels Lounge. The Lima Police Department has released a photo of a man they believe is involved. Deontray Forrest is wanted for suspicion of murder. Police didn't go into detail about his involvement in the deadly shooting where three other men were killed. Anyone aware of the 24-year-old's location is asked to contact the Lima Police Department or Crime Stoppers. This isn't the first time we've heard Forrest's name involved in a shooting. Police found him with a gunshot wound in the early morning hours back in December on Hazel Avenue. It's unclear if this incident is connected to the Levels Lounge shooting.
A man was shot and a house is damaged after two separate shooting incidents in Lima Saturday morning. The Lima Police Department was dispatched to 574 Hazel Ave. around 3:20 a.m. According to LPD, when they arrived they found 24-year-old Deontray Forrest who was shot.
He was transported to Mercy Health- St. Rita's Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. LPD was also dispatched to 509 Elmwood Pl. around 3:15 a.m..Gun fire had struck the home, but no one was injured.