Columbia City Council plans to address recent shootings

Columbia City Councilman Nick Knoth says that some houses were hit by stray bullets during the Plush Lounge shooting that occurred early Sunday morning.

The shooting that left one dead and four injured. 

Knoth told ABC 17 that he plans to engage with staff to understand what tools the city has to address the safety calls near the East Business loop 70. The result could be a new city ordinance or an adjustment to existing ordinances.

Ward 5 Columbia City Councilman, Donald Waterman added that while the council has not had any discussions as a whole about it, he thinks something needs to be done. 

"There have been a number of police calls and police dispatches to that area. So we need to do something," Waterman said. "Take a look at it. What can we do? Whether it’s more of a police presence, maybe take a look at one or two businesses where patronage seems to generate these calls, if so can we do something with those."

Within the past year, there have been 27 disturbance calls along the 900 block of East Business Loop: Two shots fired calls and two shots heard calls including a woman getting shot in the plush lounge parking lot last June.  Police have also been dispatched for four suspicious incidents, two suspicious persons and one robbery.

Some examples of nuisance ordinances -- according to the city's website -- includes the regulation of solid waste storage, growth of weeds taller than 12 inches high, onsite sewage and vehicle nuisances.