Shooting Under Investigation

Columbia police are investigating another shooting on Quail Drive early Tuesday morning.Witnesses reported hearing three to five shots around 12:45 a.m. Cops found shell casings for a .40 caliber gun in the area.Cops say a white van was seen leaving the area, but no additional suspect description was available.Police believe this shooting and Sunday night’s shooting could be related to each other, and possibly to other shooting across town.”We believe they’re connected,” said Sgt. Joe Bernhard of the Columbia Police Department. “We need a lot more cooperation from people involved or witnesses to come forward and help us determine that.”Police still do not know the reason behind the recent spike in shootings, but gangs or drugs could be responsible.”Usually the shootings are mostly drug-related and if you’re talking about drugs, you could be talking about gangs also,” said Bernhard. “It’s basically just two groups fighting over either territory, or girls or guns or drugs or money, or something.”Overall, detectives say the lack of cooperation is the cause for a lack of arrests.”Well, we have to have probable cause to make arrests,” Bernhard explained. “You have to have concrete evidence that they were involved in a crime. We’re not to the point yet we can make any arrests or definitely say that things are related.”The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 573-875-TIPS.