Man pleads guilty to 2020 shooting that killed restaurant manager

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man accused of killing a general manager at a west Columbus White Castle in 2020 pleaded guilty on Wednesday to murder and other crimes he committed before and after the shooting, according to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office.

Mark Reynolds was sentenced to 21 years to life in prison after shooting several people over the course of two hours at various west Columbus locations.

The prosecutor’s office reports that Reynolds pled guilty to murder with a firearm specification, kidnapping, felonious assault with and without a firearm specification and breaking and entering.

According to Ron O’Brien, who was the Franklin County Prosecutor at the time of the crime, a driver was getting into his semi at WW transport trucking company when he noticed Reynolds getting in the passenger side.

Reynolds pointed a gun at him and demanded the victim drive him away. The victim went to a nearby fire station and reported the crime.

Approximately an hour later, Reynolds entered the White Castle on West Broad Street where he allegedly fired his gun at a group of employees behind the counter.

Amanda Rush, the 30-year-old general manager, was shot in the head and died at the scene.

O’Brien said Reynolds left the restaurant and went to the PNC Bank on West Broad Street and fired shots at the doors before going to the Certified gas station nearby.

A driver going eastbound across the street from the gas station had their passenger side door hit by gunfire. O’Brien said Reynolds then barricaded himself inside the gas station before being taken into custody.