Columbia police ask community to keep eyes peeled after recent gun violence
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Police are asking the community to step up in response to the recent spike in gun violence in Columbia.
"In light of the recent shootings, I would remind everyone that some pillars of crime prevention are natural surveillance and territorial reinforcement," said Jason McClintic, the Columbia Police Department coordinator for the Crime Free Prevention Program. "Anything that we all can do to identify indicators of criminal behavior and also show our pride in our neighborhoods will do nothing but keep us all safer."
This comes as Columbia logged six shootings in the first four days of October.
A shooting Thursday morning in the 400 block of Trinity Place resulted in no injuries reported and no arrests after police said they found several shell casings in the area. Witnesses told officers a white vehicle was seen driving away from the area and that two people were also seen running away.
According to the release, a vehicle was found in Douglass Park with bullet holes.
Later that night, a shooting at Ninth and Elm streets resulted in no injuries being reported and no property damage. Witnesses reportedly told police a grey sedan was driving in the area and a person got out of the car and shot at another person outside of the vehicle. However, CPD detained two suspects but later released them because of a lack of evidence.
Severeal CPD vehicles responded to a south Columbia McDonald's and the Lyfe apartment complex around 2 p.m. Friday after a resident at the apartment complex reported hearing gunshots. Evidence markers and crime scene tape were placed around the complex.
Police arrested Dajon Gulley, 23, of Columbia, after he reportedly resisted arrest following the shots heard call near Buttonwood Drive. However, it is not clear if police suspect Gully was directly involved in the shots-heard incident.
Police say later that night, officers responded to a shots-fired call around 8 p.m. in the area of Oak Street resulting in property damage. No arrests were made.
Officers were sent late Saturday to a shots-fired call near Ninth and Cherry streets in downtown Columbia. No injuries or property damage were reported. Officers detained a suspect and took him to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, police said in a news release.
The gun used in the shooting was stolen from a vehicle on Clark Lane last month, police say.
Officers then responded to the 400 block of Oak Street around 4 p.m. Sunday for shots fired. Officers found more than 40 shell casings at the scene. Police say multiple rounds were fired but no injuries were reported.
Overall, CPD officers have responded to four shots-fired calls and 12 shots-heard calls so far in October.
Police went to 26 calls the entire month of October last year.
Assistant Police Chief Brian Richenberger addressed the recent shootings in a news release Sunday night.
"The frequency of these incidents of gunfire is unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Richenberger said. "Under the leadership of Chief Geoff Jones, CPD will pour all of our available resources into this investigation in order to prevent any future harm to innocent bystanders in our community."
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the police department at 573-874-7652 or CrimeStoppers at 573-875-TIPS (8477).
