Police respond to homicide in south Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia police responded to shots heard in the 300 block of West Brookside Lane around 1 a.m. Sunday.

When officers arrived they found a man with life-threatening injuries. Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

The man was identified as 17-year-old Bryant R. Wilks II of Columbia.

Officers, investigators and detectives collected evidence at the scene including shell casings.

Officers found property damage on several structures and vehicles.

No other injuries were reported.

Police do not have any suspect information and the investigation is ongoing.

ABC 17 News crews went to Brookside Townhomes Sunday afternoon and spoke with a few people who lived there before our crews were told to leave the property by security. 

One Brookside resident said she saw a group of guys fist fighting around the same area the shooting happened on Saturday evening.

She said the group yelled to her that there was a party down the road at a different townhome, but she didn't recognize them. 

While another resident said she didn’t hear the shots herself but she spoke with another neighbor that did, who originally thought the shots were fireworks.

That resident said she doesn’t remember anything like this happening at the townhomes in the last two years, and she was frustrated that she had not been told what happened by the complex or the police.

ABC 17 News crews also spoke with community members about Wilks. 

One said wilks wanted to change his life around, while another said the community needs to change now.

“He's still a child,” said Kandas Holmes. “And we are steadily losing our children to death, and it's not okay. Like I feel like it's time for us as a community, us as parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts to come together put the envy aside, come together as one and break this cycle for our children.”