Police looking for answers in downtown Columbia shooting
Columbia police are trying to figure out why 20 to 30 people were involved in an argument that led to gunshots in downtown over the weekend. It is the second shooting in downtown in just six weeks. ABC 17 News had crews on scene just minutes after guns were fired at Tenth Street and Broadway just as bars and restaurants were closing up.
Police have not made any arrests.
They said they’re certain changes will be made. But they’re unsure what those changes will be. Police tell me those changes may need to happen fast. They know downtown is going to become a lot busier in the next few weeks with all the college students returning.
Police said they’re trying to figure out what happen between two groups. It eventually made it out to the streets.
“A disturbance happened, it went into the alleyway and we’re getting information it was white males and black males that were in a physical disturbance for about three to four minutes,” Columbia police officer Latisha Stroer said. “It then it broke up, as it broke up shots fired.”
Police were on foot in the downtown area at the time. They say they heard about five to six shots from one shooter. Investigators said they never know where people will start shooting, but they did have the downtown unit in the area. Investigators say on top of that, there were even more officers in the area. But the shooting still happened.
“I know that we changed things with the downtown unit because the first shots fired, we did not have officers downtown that night and that has changed,” Stroer said.
ABC 17 News tried to get in contact with first ward councilman Fred Schmidt and the director of The District, Carrie Gartner to see if they want to see any additional changes from police. But no phone calls or messages were returned.
