Recent gun violence spike in Columbia
Columbia police have responded to five separate shots fired incidents since June 15th.
Three of those occurred during an eight-hour span from Monday evening to early Tuesday morning.
“We’re always concerned,” said Latisha Stroer, Columbia Police Public Information Officer. “Whether it happens in a neighborhood or whether it happens in a public place. Bullets travel and we don’t want anyone to be a victim of a gunshot wound.”
Police responded to Clark Lane and Hickam Drive Monday around 6:15 p.m. There was an exchange of gunfire between two vehicles.
“These drive-by shootings are very troublesome because they’re very difficult to solve,” said Karl Skala, Ward 3 City Councilman. “We always have this issue of trying to get testimony of people who have seen something that has happened.”
Then around 2:30 a.m. Monday police were called to called to the area between Providence Road and Worley Street for multiple shots fired.
Police later recovered 15 shell casings in the 200 block of 4th Avenue.
Casey Phillips, who lives near where the shell casings were found, said her neighborhood isn’t safe for her 7-year-old son.
“I just wish the shootings would stop,” she said. “Its scary because it could have hit any of the houses. It could have gone through a wall and we could wake up the next morning to someone not being alive in the house.”
A 22-year-old man is in the hospital in serious condition from a gunshot wound to his abdomen. Columbia police have not confirmed if the victim is involved with any of the shootings that happened between Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
“They’re happening at different times of the night and in different areas,” said Stroer. “There’s no consistency or any certain type of information that we have gathered that we’ve gathered that seems like they’re related at this point.”
Skala said police are doing the best they can to solve these crimes with a limited number of officers and resources. He said having more officers and improving their relationship with the community would help.
“That’s something the city has to work on in terms of it’s relationship with the police and the community.”
No arrests have been made in any of the shots fired incidents since June 15th.
