Columbus man who killed White Castle employee gets life sentence
A Columbus man has received a lifetime prison sentence for a short but erratic morning crime spree on the West Side in 2020 during which he fatally shot a White Castle employee and wounded another in an attempted robbery.
In just a few hours on the morning of Oct. 23, 2020, Mark C. Reynolds went to the White Castle, held a truck driver at gunpoint and shot at a bank and a moving car.
Reynolds, 31, of the Northeast Side pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon to charges including murder, kidnapping and felonious assault.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jaiza Page sentenced Reynolds to life in prison with an opportunity for parole after 21 years, as recommended by prosecutors and defense attorneys in the plea agreement.
During the brief rampage, Reynolds killed Amanda Rush, 30, of the Far West Side when he shot her in the head. Rush was the general manager of a White Castle on West Broad Street and recently had been recognized by the business for her fundraising for Autism Speaks. The company created a scholarship fund in her memory.
Misty Rush, Amanda’s older sister, told The Dispatch their family is happy Reynolds is being held accountable and they’re grateful to the local authorities.
“Losing Amanda has just completely devastated our lives,” Misty Rush said. “We lost a major piece of our foundation when she was taken from us.”
Reynolds apologized to Rush’s family at his sentencing hearing, according to Dennis Day, an attorney representing him.
“He wishes he could go back to that day, but he knows that is impossible and there’s a penalty to pay,” Day told The Dispatch.
Day said it’s impossible to know why Reynolds did what he did. Reynolds was in a paranoid state that day, Day said.
“He thought people were chasing him, and he ran from these people virtually all over town.” Day said. “That doesn’t explain why he walked into a White Castle and shot Amanda Rush or the other stuff. … Nobody could have predicted that he would simply lose it one day and do an awful thing.”
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A short but deadly crime spree on the West Side
At the time of the crimes, Reynolds was out on bond for a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. He was accused of punching the mother of their child Oct. 7 during an argument. City prosecutors dismissed the case in January 2021.
Reynolds began his string of crimes about 4 a.m. Oct. 23, 2020, The Dispatch previously reported. A 2020 announcement of Reynolds’ indictment by the Franklin County Prosecutor’s office describes the chaos that had unfolded.
While a driver was getting into his semitruck at W.W. Transport Inc., Reynolds entered the passenger side and pointed a gun at the driver. Reynolds demanded the victim drive away.
Later, Reynolds entered the White Castle, where he fired at five employees behind the counter, killing Rush and injuring another employee whom he had shot in the wrist.
Reynolds then went to the PNC Bank on West Broad Street and shot at the door. Then he went to the Certified Oil gas station on West Broad Street.
Reynolds shot at a vehicle going eastbound across the street from the gas station.
Finally, Reynolds barricaded himself inside the restroom of the gas station for about an hour before being taken into custody by police about 7 a.m.
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