Shooting Seriously Injures Woman

*** UPDATE 10:12 P.M. ***An early weekend shooting in Columbia ends with an innocent bystander shot twice in the back. Police are now searching for two gunmen who they consider armed and dangerous. Garrett Murray and Jeremy Ruff allegedly drove down North Street, next to the Business Loop, firing at each others cars.It happened just before 2:00 A.M as a crowd gathered in the parking lot after the bars in the area closed. As bullets went flying a woman was shot in her car, and was in the ICU seriously injured but stable as of Sunday night.This isn’t the first time police have responded to shots fired in this area, but it is the first time someone’s been hurt. Police and people who live in the block near the Business Loop have been afraid an innocent person would get caught in the cross fire, because half a dozen shootings have happened there since September. Since someone finally got hurt, the community is cooperating and helping police find the criminals.Neighbors said police are often in the parking lot near Club Vogue, the Thirsty Turtle and Fat Boys to break up after hours crowds. “When you have a populated area that’s where tension tends to build up….and instead of the old days where people used to have fist fights now it seems we are bringing fire arms into the picture,” said Sgt. John Gordon with the Columbia Police Department.Officers don’t know if the gunmen were at a bar before the crime, but they said the two started firing at each other while driving near the parking lot. They then shot an innocent woman who was sitting in her car.”When you have people that just indiscriminately shooting at each other its just uncalled for, we need to get it stopped and we need to get it stopped as quickly as possible,” said Gordon.The gunfire isn’t anything new for this part of town, in the last five months ABC 17 News counted six different shootings, but this time police actually know who the gunmen are. “We believe its a small group of people doing the majority of these shootings, and if we can get those people stopped this will be a much more peaceful community,” said Gordon.In September a nearly identical crime happened near these same businesses, and ABC 17 News crews found shell casings left behind. The next month two calls for shots fired near the Empire Skating rink, and last month two more near the Business Loop on Rangeline and Pannell street.When ABC 17 News asked if police are looking into any connection, Gordon said “Yeah, the major crimes unit along with our crime analysis personnel…. They are actively seeking to see if these are interwoven into each other and hopefully if we removed one or two people that will resolve the problems.”However, for that to happen police said the community needs to continue coming forward and helping police. “I know it’s scary at times, but if we can get the cooperation we can get these people put in jail, you will see that these shootings will stop,” said Gordon.Police said in this current case they have had great cooperation and that’s why they know who the two suspects are. If you have any information on where Garrett Murray or Jeremy Ruff are please call CrimeStoppers at 875-TIPS.***UPDATE 3:15 P.M.***The 22 year old victim is stable but in the ICU at University Hospital. Investigators say the woman was not the intended target of the shooting.Now Columbia police are looking for two gunmen, considered armed and dangerous. Warrants have been issued for the arrests of Garrett Murray, 32, of Columbia and Jeremy A. Ruff, 25, of Berkeley.Anyone with information on the two suspects is asked to call Crimestoppers at 875-TIPS.***ORIGINAL STORY***Columbia police are investigating a shooting Sunday morning that seriously injured one person.Officers were dispatched to the 900 block of Business Loop 70 East just before 2 a.m. for a shots fired report with a possible victim.Police say occupants in two vehicles, a white SUV and a gray vehicle, may have been shooting at each other. Officers found a 22-year-old woman seriously injured by the gunfire. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment.Cops recovered shell casings on the Business Loop. The shooting is still under investigation and no suspect information was provided.