Tensions were high at a press conference at Columbia City Hall Wednesday where city leaders gave an update on several shootings. Those tensions could also be felt in the community. Vernon Forbes lives in the neighborhood where 18-year-old Nadria Wright was shot and killed on Sept. 14. He said he heard the shots. Police released
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Investigators say a witness told them a shooting Sunday in north Columbia could be in retaliation for a September killing, court documents show. Police arrested Daniel D. Ayers, 17, and Le’Andre J. Mitchell, 18, after the shooting on Silver Mill Drive that resulted in no injuries. It’s the latest in a string of shootings, several
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From Jan. 1, 2019, to Sept. 24, 2019 the Columbia Police Department received reports of 213 stolen firearms. City spokesman Steve Sapp says CPD has recovered 93 of those stolen guns. Dale Roberts, executive director of the Columbia Police Officers’ Association said there is a network of people buying and selling stolen guns in Columbia.
Continue ReadingProsecutors charged a man in Boone County in connection with a shooting on Highway VV in March. According to court documents, Richard Johnson fired a gun at the victim from a moving vehicle multiple times March 25. Investigators said they found shell casings at the scene that later matched the gun found in Johnson’s possession.
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Nationwide, the number of homicides is going down but that is not the case for Columbia, according to data kept by law enforcement agencies. FBI crime data show 14,123 people died across the country in homicides — a decrease of 1,072 homicides from 2017 to 2018, or 7.5%. The number of homicides involving firearms nationwide
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Boone County prosecutors have charged two teens after shots were fired in the 5300 block of Silver Mill Drive on Sunday. Several officers searched the area around Silver Mill and N. Burning Bush Drive shortly before 9 p.m. A CPD officer told ABC 17 News crews that gunshots were fired but did not say if
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A shooting Sunday night continues the rash of violence in Columbia. Columbia police confirmed with ABC 17 News that shots were fired shortly before 9 p.m. near the intersection of Silver Mill and N. Burning Bush Drive. Authorities searched the area and talked to people nearby for more than an hour after the incident. One
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Community members gathered Saturday afternoon to remember the victims of the recent string of gun violence in Columbia. This comes after 6 people have been killed in five shootings in just over two weeks. Restoration of Life Ministries held a memorial and barbecue to remember the lives lost. One of the organizers, Wilma Blair, said
Continue ReadingJavion Lawhorn-Wallace has been accused in a drive-by shooting before. In 2010 he pleaded guilty to being the trigger man in a north Columbia drive-by. Now Lawhorn-Wallace is accused again of pulling the trigger in a drive-by shooting, this time with fatal consequences. Boone County prosecutors have charged Lawhorn-Wallace with second-degree murder, two counts of
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UPDATE 10:36 p.m.: Columbia police confirmed they are investigating a homicide on McBaine Avenue at Duncan Street. According to a news release, officers responded to the scene at 8:13 p.m. Wednesday and found a man with gunshot wounds. The man was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Police identified the victim
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Police have arrest warrants out for two men suspected in a recent string of shooting deaths, Columbia Police Department Chief Geoff Jones said Wednesday. Jones and Mayor Brian Treece spoke at a news conference about shootings that have claimed four lives since Sept. 13. Jones ticked off a list of those killed in homicides in
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Two people were charged with murder in connection with recent gun deaths in Columbia, according to court documents that became available on Thursday. Aaron Harris, 26, of Columbia was charged with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon in connection with the Sept. 14 death of E’quan Spain, 19, near Park Avenue and Fifth
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The gun violence gripping Columbia has hit close to home for a former University of Missouri basketball star with deep Columbia roots. Willie Smith said Thursday that James Hickem, a 23-year-old killed by gunfire Wednesday night, is his grandson. Smith first spoke with ABC 17 News on Wednesday afternoon about the violence that has now
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The Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau said it has not seen an immediate drop in tourism following recent shootings. The bureau has been measuring visitor’s perception of safety for the past four years. It is an annual measure. “Columbia, we’ve always branded our self as a community that is open, and welcoming and safe and
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