Co-workers of man killed hope for answers in Boone County homicide
Glenn Cobbins, Sr. and Judy Hubbard remember Ahmonta Harris as a thoughtful child who grew up to become a thoughtful leader.
“He was going to stand up for what he thought was right,” Hubbard said.
“Even though it might have been wrong, what he believed was right and just, he did that in his own little way,” Cobbins said.
Harris, 26, was found dead Saturday night in the 5700 block of Limoges Drive, just east of Columbia. The Boone County Sheriff’s Department said they found Harris in a house dead from gunshot wounds.
Cobbins and Hubbard, two community outreach specialists with the city of Columbia, worked with Harris several times on community issues. Hubbard said that Harris, a city worker himself since 2017, was always interested in lending a hand.
“He was always willing to help us help the children or somebody who was in a situation that they needed some positive help,” Hubbard said. “He was there for that.”
Cobbins added that Harris was dedicated to helping people and trying to solve conflicts as they arose.
Harris took some criticism for his organization of the so-called “Fireworks War” in 2018, an event he said brought the community together and helped resolve conflict without guns. Sheriff Dwyane Carey vowed to stop such an event from happening in the county again in 2019, calling it “dangerous, reckless behavior.”
Details remain slim about Harris’ death. Detective Tom O’Sullivan said the department is still investigating, and will continue to do so before releasing any information. O’Sullivan said an autopsy was done on Monday.
Cobbins said the lack of details made it harder to cope with Harris’ death. He said Harris would want people to fight for the truth.
“Who in the hell did it, why did they do it, where did they do it, when did they do it?” Cobbins said. “And when you don’t get no answers, it’s rugged.”
“Ahmonta wasn’t perfect, but who of us is? And he was trying so hard to make a difference in the world that he lived in,” Hubbard said.
