Donnie Allen was arrested and charged with aggravated murder after authorities say he shot 27-year-old Benjamin McComas at a Cleveland light-rail station on Dec. 14. Allen had been released five days earlier when The Bail Project posted $500 after a judge reduced his bond in an unrelated Dec. 4 case. Court records show a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2019. The Bail Project condemned the alleged violence and reiterated its mission to reduce pretrial detention based on inability to pay bail.
Repeat Offender Allegedly Kills Man Days After Nonprofit Posted His Bail
Donnie Allen is accused of killing Benjamin McComas.
A repeat offender in Cleveland, Ohio, has been accused of fatally shooting a man just days after a nonprofit posted bail to secure his release from jail.
Authorities say Donnie Allen allegedly shot 27-year-old Benjamin McComas at a Cleveland light-rail station at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14. Allen was charged with aggravated murder and arraigned on a $1 million bond.
Records reviewed by local media show Allen faced separate charges tied to an incident at the same light-rail station on Dec. 4. Those earlier accusations included drug possession, breaking and entering, vandalism, obstructing official business and possessing criminal tools. His bond in that case was initially set at $15,000 and then reduced by Judge Joy Kennedy to $5,000 on Dec. 8.
Court documents indicate that The Bail Project, a nonprofit that posts bail for eligible defendants, provided $500 on Dec. 9 to secure Allen's release from the Cuyahoga County Jail. Allen was arrested on the homicide charge five days later.
Criminal History And Reactions
Prosecutors and filings cite a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2019, including burglary convictions and guilty pleas in 2019, 2021, 2022 and multiple charges in 2024 that included attempted burglary, assault on a peace officer, resisting arrest, obstructing official business and drug possession.
Allen's attorney, James Jenkins, said the Dec. 14 incident was "far from" an intentional homicide and urged that the case be considered on its facts and through the legal process.
A spokesperson for The Bail Project told reporters: "The Bail Project condemns violence and we are deeply concerned by the recent allegation involving Mr. Allen. Our mission is to ensure people are not jailed pretrial solely because they cannot afford bail." The organization said it did not respond to a follow-up question about whether it had considered Allen's prior arrests before posting his bail.
Judge Joy Kennedy has previously expressed support for bail reform. In a 2024 questionnaire for The Marshall Project she said bail reform is necessary to address inequities in the criminal-justice system and to prevent unnecessary pretrial detention.
Fox News Digital and other outlets have sought comment from the Cuyahoga County Court about the recent killing and Allen's release. The allegations against Allen are subject to ongoing investigation and legal proceedings.
