Two Columbus men suspected in a Tuesday night shooting in London will be arraigned today.

Steven L. Howard, 32, of 1820 Parkwick Square, Columbus, and Michael S. Scott, 19, each face a murder charge following the shooting death of Blayne L. Petit, 21, on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Judge R. David Picken will arraign the pair at 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21, in Madison County Municipal Court.

Howard turned himself in to London police at approximately 2:20 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19; Scott also surrendered at approximately 9:50 p.m.

The charges stem from an incident at 183 N. Madison Road, Apt. B in London.

According to Sgt. David Litchfield, two black males knocked loudly on the apartment door at 10:30 p.m. When Petit opened the door, one man allegedly forced his way into the apartment as the other allegedly leveled a gun and fired a shot at Blayne L. Petit.

Brandance Petit, the victim's sister, fled to the second floor with two small children when the shot was fired; she called 911 from the closet. Blayne Petit's fiancée and two children remained downstairs.

Brandance Petit said one of the suspects put a gun into the fiancée's mouth and demanded everything they had.

An unidentified man who was sleeping in a room on the second floor called the Madison County Sheriff's Office for help.

As the Sheriff's Office dispatcher took the call, the unidentified caller was frantically asking for police help.

"I'm sending all my units," the dispatcher replied to the caller.

Eight or nine shots were fired, according to Litchfield. He said after the shooting, Blayne Petit, 21, ran through the first floor out to the unit's backyard where he collapsed.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neighbor Steve Dunn said he heard the shots and saw two black males running down the sidewalk and onto Madison Road.

He said Blayne Petit was always a pleasant person.

"I never seen anything like it," he said of the incident. "I helped him work on his car and we would sometimes share a hamburger. Hate to see anything happen to his babies. Apparently he made somebody mad."

Brandance Petit said her brother had dealt drugs at one time, but "he was going straight." She said he was living with his fiancée in the apartment and watching her children while she attended school. She also said Blayne Petit planned to return to school.

Litchfield said the two black males, wearing white T-shirts and white bandannas, eluded a comprehensive sweep of the area using police dogs.

Litchfield indicated the London Police Department has answered numerous calls in the past to the complex for domestic disputes, neighbor disputes and drugs.

Howard and Scott are being held at Tri-County Regional Jail in Mechanicsburg; there is no bond at this time.