CPD Investigates 2 Shootings
***UPDATE, MONDAY 6:08 P.M.***A shooter is on the loose after shots ring out at a long time Columbia hangout early Sunday morning. Police found several shell casings near the Empire Roller Rink on Business Loop 70 after being called to the scene for a large disturbance inside the rink. They even found a bullet hole in a squad car.Investigators tell ABC 17 News they don’t have a lot of information right now about this. They say they were inside the roller rink when the shots rang out. Cops tell us they’re talking with anyone who might have information and trying to get any surveillance video they can.Police tell us they were called out to the roller rink because of a large fight inside the roller rink. They couldn’t tell us what that disturbance was about. But they say as many as 20 gun shots rang out as they were getting the crowd out of the rink.”I think it was just pretty chaotic when the shots were fired,”Officer Latisha Stroer said. “People were running trying to get to cover, so it was very chaotic and a lot of people didn’t see what was going on.”Police say they found six shell casings in the parking lot behind the rink. They don’t know how many shooters there were, but are certain they were firing toward the roller rink. One car was hit in the trunk and even a patrol car was hit in the hood.Neighbors tell us they’re concerned because the shootings happened close to where many live.”People go in there having parties or skating late at night, but to my best ability we’ve never had anything this major,” Carol Hyde explains.Police tell us even with the large amount of people there at the time, they still have limited information.”There is absolutely no suspect information or suspect vehicle information, so we’re really not sure why the shots were fired at this point,” Stroer said.Officers were unsure how many shooters there were. They tell us if you know or saw anything to give Crime Stoppers a call at 875-TIPS (8477).***UPDATE, MONDAY 9:38 A.M.***Police are releasing new details about the shooting and are investigating a separate shooting in the same area.Officers say early Sunday morning they were assisting with a large disturbance at the Empire Roller Rink at 1305 Business Loop 70. While they were there officers heard multiple shots fired outside.There is no suspect information and no reports of injuries. Police did find six shell casings in the parking lot of 1313 Lakeview Avenue, at the city of Columbia Grissum Building. Officers found two vehicles damaged by the gunfire, one was a Columbia Police Department vehicle.Police are also investigating a shooting that happened Saturday in the area of the Business Loop East and Range Line Street.Callers say people inside a gold colored four door vehicle and the passengers in a silver Dodge Charger exchanged gunfire in the intersection. The gunman in the Dodge Charger was described as a black male around 18 to 20 years of age wearing a blue flannel shirt and blue jeans. Officers recovered four shell casings near the intersection. There have been no reports of any injuries or property damage. The investigation is ongoing.***ORIGINAL STORY***Columbia police are searching for the suspects in an overnight shooting. Officers told ABC 17 News that gunfire broke out at the intersection of the Business Loop and Rangeline just after midnight Sunday morning.Police said two cars were shooting at each other. Evidence was on scene but police admit witnesses were not cooperating.Law enforcement has descriptions of the cars but is not releasing that information yet.
