William Calhoun of Springfield, Ohio: Verdict and Sentencing

William Calhoun of Springfield, Ohio is a 43-year-old man convicted on May 29, 2026 of the aggravated murder of Racquel Fowler, a grandmother who was shot and killed inside her West Liberty Street home on her birthday in February 2023. A Clark County jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts after a week-long trial, more than three years after Calhoun was arrested.¹

The Shooting on West Liberty Street

Shortly after 2:20 a.m. on February 5, 2023, Springfield police were called to the 300 block of West Liberty Street, near Lowry Avenue, for a barrage of gunfire. A 911 caller reported that a dark-colored SUV sped off after an estimated 30 to 40 shots were fired into the occupied house.¹

Racquel Fowler, who had just turned 54 that day, was struck twice in the upper thigh and once in the lower left chest. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A 29-year-old male relative was also hit, shot in the lower back, and taken to Springfield Regional Medical Center before being transferred to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton with injuries described as non-life-threatening.² A court affidavit stated the shots were “fired from the street and into the occupied structure.”³

Who Racquel Fowler Was

Racquel Fowler was born on February 5, 1969, in New London, Connecticut, to Claudie and Josephine Fowler. She was the mother of five children and grandmother to 18. Her obituary described her as “family-oriented” and “the best mom and favorite aunt,” and noted her love of cooking, traveling, and watching scary movies. A celebration of life was held on February 18 at Greater Grace Temple in Springfield.⁴

Arrest, Charges, and Stated Motive

Springfield police identified Calhoun, then 40, through evidence gathered at the scene and witness interviews. He was arrested the day after the shooting and booked into the Clark County Jail.³ He was initially charged with aggravated murder and attempted murder.⁵

Calhoun pleaded not guilty in Clark County Municipal Court and was denied bond. Municipal court documents described the shootings as “retaliatory in nature” and said detectives had determined the attack was carried out with “prior calculation and design” as retaliation for an earlier shooting the same night.² A Clark County grand jury later returned a broader indictment that added felonious assault and several firearm counts.

The Verdict

Calhoun was held in the Clark County Jail for more than three years before trial. On May 29, 2026, after a week of testimony, the jury convicted him on every count:¹

One count of aggravated murder
Two counts of murder
Two counts of felonious assault
One count of attempted murder
One count of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation
One count of discharging a firearm on or near prohibited premises
One count of having weapons under disability

A Prior Felony Record

The weapons-under-disability conviction reflects an earlier felony. Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction records show Calhoun was previously convicted in 2008 on a docket that included aggravated murder, attempted murder, felonious assault, retaliation, and carrying a concealed weapon.⁶ The specifics of that case are not detailed in available reporting, but the record confirms he had served a prior prison sentence before the 2023 shooting.

Sentencing

Calhoun remains an inmate at the Clark County Jail awaiting sentencing. The aggravated murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence under Ohio law.

1
Springfield News-Sun. Springfield Man Found Guilty of 2023 Shooting Murder on West Liberty
2
Springfield News-Sun. Springfield Man Indicted in Fatal Shooting of Woman on Her Birthday
3
Springfield News-Sun. Springfield Man Charged After Deadly Shooting of Woman
4
Springfield News-Sun. Funeral Services Set for Springfield Grandmother Who Died in Shooting
5
Dayton 24/7 Now. Springfield Police Make Arrest in Shooting That Left One Dead and One Injured
6
Ohio DRC. Offender Details – William Calhoun