Walnut Street in downtown Columbia sees busy overnight Saturday

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Police were busy overnight Saturday in an area of downtown Columbia that University of Missouri President Mun Choi has warned students away from because of safety issues.

Columbia Police Department officers took 11 reports for calls in the vicinity of Eighth and Walnut streets in downtown Columbia starting late Saturday and continuing into early Sunday. Those calls included one for shots fired and one for a disturbance.

Police have not provided details on those calls.

Choi warned students ahead of the start of classes last month to stay away from that area of downtown late at night, citing the potential for violent incidents after high-profile fights and gunplay. Choi has also called out a particular bar in that stretch, alleging that many of the problems are associated with the club Reign.

"Some areas of downtown Columbia should be avoided at night, specifically sections of Walnut Street between 8th and 10th streets," Choi's email to students reads.

Choi has demanded increased downtown safety from Columbia leaders since a Stephens College student was shot and killed on Broadway -- the heart of downtown Columbia -- nearly a year ago.

Columbia police leadership last week met with select bar owners and managers to talk about what could be done to reduce criminal activity.

CPD, the University of Missouri and the Columbia mayor's office were not immediately available for comment Monday.