Jefferson City shooting sends one man to the hospital
A Jefferson City man was treated at the hospital after a shooting in Jefferson City Wednesday night.
Officers responded to the 200 block of Center Street for reports of shots fired around 9 p.m., according to officials with the Jefferson City Police Department.
“There were some officers close to the area and (they) heard a couple gun shots around East High Street, East Center Street,” Lt. Steve Weaver with JCPD said. “A few moments later a few witnesses said they heard a car speed off and then within minutes there was a gunshot victim that showed up at Capitol Regional Hospital.”
A 19-year-old Jefferson City resident was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said the victim is not fully cooperating with investigators, and a suspect has not yet been identified after preliminary interviews.
“He just said he was riding in a car and got shot somewhere on High Street,” Weaver said. “Detectives came in to continue to investigate, he continued to be uncooperative and then to my knowledge he checked himself out of the hospital without giving us a statement.”
According to Weaver, this is the second time this man has been shot in the last month.
“The first time was in the county,” Weaver said. “Cole County Sheriff’s Department investigated that and to my knowledge he was uncooperative with them.”
Weaver said it’s difficult for detectives to do their job when victims are not cooperative.
“It’s his choice not to cooperate,” Weaver said. “If he doesn’t want law enforcement involved and he doesn’t want us to try and get these suspects arrested and charged and justice brought forward, it’s certainly his choice.”
“The problem is when innocent bystanders get involved,” Weaver continued. “People start shooting guns and you don’t know where your bullets are going to go. And a lot of times they don’t hit their intended target and an innocent person gets shot. So that is a struggle when people don’t want to cooperate and don’t want to talk.”
Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact JCPD.
“Anytime the community knows anything, saw anything, heard anything even if they think it’s minor, it may not be anything but we still want to be called,” Weaver said. “It may not mean anything to you but it very well could be something to us and give us something to go on.”
Police ask anyone with information that could help in the ongoing investigation to contact the JCPD or CrimeStoppers at (573) 659-8477 to stay anonymous.
