Suspected shooter arrested for having stolen gun
Columbia Police arrested James Webb after a traffic stop Tuesday night. According to police, Webb was the passenger when the car he was riding in was stopped in the 2900 block of Lawnridge Court in north Columbia.
Police say they smelled marijuana from the passenger side of the car. After searching the vehicle, police say they found a stolen gun under Webb’s seat.
According to the Columbia Police Department, stolen guns are a hot commodity for criminals. Although stolen guns are not the driving force behind crimes, police say the guns are easier for criminals to get a hold of and make them more dangerous.
Columbia Police Sergeant Michael Hestir says a majority of gun crime in Columbia is committed by people who are not legally allowed to have guns.
“That is a hot commodity to people who want to participate in other illegal activities.. drug dealing, drug sales, gang activity,” Hestir says.
Hestir urges gun owners to make sure their weapons are securely stored. He says many burglars specifically target gun owners’ homes. “There’s no telling where [the stolen gun] might end up, or what kind of crime it will be used in,” said Hestir.
Hestir says more stolen guns don’t equate to more crime on the street. He says criminals will commit the crimes whether they have a gun on them or not. But having a stolen gun makes the situation much more dangerous.
“With a stolen gun, you don’t have to pass a background check,” Hestir says, “you don’t have to do any of the other things that honest law abiding citizens do so it kind of short circuits our attempt to keep our country safe.”
When police stopped the car Webb was in on Tuesday, they say Webb gave the officers a false name. Once Webb’s identity was verified, police found he had an active warrant for his arrest.
Webb was arrested for deceiving a law enforcement officer, receiving stolen property, unlawful possession of a concealed weapon and a municipal warrant on the original charge of expired license plates.
James Webb was involved in a shooting in September of 2015. ABC 17 News reported Webb was arrested for his involvement in a shooting that happened at 1610 Steamboat Lane.
Authorities say a fight between Webb and another man started inside the home. Court documents say the two were fighting over money and drugs. They also say during the fight, Webb pulled out a gun and during a struggle, the gun went off.
In that September incident, both Webb and the second man had non-life threatening injuries. The second man was taken to the hospital. But police say Webb and two others left the scene.
Police found Webb and the two others at a gas station near Rock Quarry and Stadium Boulevard.
For his alleged involvement in this September shooting, Webb was charged with First Degree Assault and Armed Criminal Action.
