Columbus man sentenced to 38 years in Lincoln Park drive-by shootings

A man will serve 38 years in prison in a drive-by shooting that injured four people at Lincoln Park in 2023.

According to the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office, 21-year-old Edmarius Oats of Columbus was sentenced yesterday by Bartholomew County Superior Court 1 Judge Jim Worton.

The incident happened the evening of May 23rd of 2023 when Oats opened fire on a teen victim at the park’s basketball court after an argument over a girl they had both been previously dating. Three others were also injured. Oats was arrested later at his home after the SWAT team was called in. He faced preliminary charges of attempted murder and three counts of aggravated battery.

Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay said that Oats turned “a place where young people play basketball into a war zone.”

She said the shooting “was a calculated and cowardly attack fueled by anger and ego. By removing him from our streets for decades, the court has ensured that our community is safer and that the victims and their families can begin to heal knowing justice has been served.”

Holden-Kay praised the Columbus Police Department and Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office for their swift and thorough work in the case.