Suspect in deadly Columbus shooting has 20+ year criminal record
The man now charged in a deadly Columbus gas station shooting has a criminal history spanning more than 20 years, according to Muscogee County Jail court records.
Dwayne Quarles, 50, was arrested following the April 2, 2026 shooting at the Liberty gas station that left 37-year-old Calvin Mitchell dead. He now faces charges of murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Records show Quarles’ encounters with law enforcement date back to at least 2003.
His earliest listed charges include entering an automobile, theft by taking, and simple battery in October 2003. In 2005, he was charged with aggravated assault, along with unlawful manufacture and possession with intent to distribute. Later that year, he faced additional charges of simple battery and criminal trespass.
In 2007, Quarles was again arrested on multiple drug-related charges, including several counts involving controlled substances.
After a gap of several years, charges resumed in 2010 with simple battery, followed by an affray charge in 2014 and a false report of a crime in 2015. In 2016, he was charged with driving under the influence and traffic violations.
By 2018, Quarles was again facing violent-related charges, including battery, as well as false imprisonment, criminal trespass, and battery in a separate incident.
His record shows a significant increase in activity in 2020, including DUI, probation violation, and a wide range of drug-related and traffic offenses. That pattern continued into 2021 with charges including driving with a withdrawn license and battery under the family violence statute.
In 2022, Quarles was charged with probation violations along with battery and driving offenses. A 2023 entry lists him as a material witness under a South Carolina order.
Most recently, in August 2024, Quarles was charged with probation violation, battery, aggravated assault, and false imprisonment.
Investigators have not released details about what led up to the April 2 shooting, which occurred around 11:50 p.m. at the Liberty gas station on Victory Drive. The victim, Calvin Mitchell, was transported to Piedmont Columbus Regional, where he later died.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Cpl. K. Baldwin at 706-225-4337 or [email protected]. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
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