Columbia man charged with murder in deadly shooting
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Columbia man was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in a Monday night shooting death.
The Columbia Police Department said in a social media post Tuesday that Corey Blueitt, 43, of Columbia was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and other felonies in the shooting death of Aaron Badolato, 34, of Columbia in the 2000 block of Newtown Drive in north Columbia.
Blueitt was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. He was in the Boone County Jail on Tuesday without bond.
At least 10 police cruisers were at the scene Monday night. Police told an ABC 17 News reporter that one person had been shot and that there was no threat to the public.
"Officers arrived on scene and found an adult male with apparent gunshot wounds," the Columbia Police Department tweeted. "Officers provided medical aid until EMS arrived to transport the victim to a local hospital."
Badoloto died at the hospital, police said Tuesday.
Officers found Blueitt at about 2:45 a.m. Tuesday in the 1300 block of English Drive.
(1) At approximately 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, Columbia Police officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 2000 Block of Newton Drive. pic.twitter.com/bLedrBC2eM
— ColumbiaPD (@ColumbiaPD) December 6, 2022
Officers initially arrived at the scene around 6:30 p.m. and found Badoloto in the front yard with a gunshot wound. Police spoke to three witnesses.
One woman said she was outside with a friend waiting for her boyfriend to get there.
One of the witnesses said Blueitt was her ex-boyfriend, according to a probable cause statement. The woman said she was walking out of her apartment when Blueitt was getting back into his vehicle and told her he shot Badoloto, the statement says. The woman said Blueitt was going to come back and kill one of the other witnesses and threatened to "blow up the whole block," according to the statement.
The woman allegedly told police that she heard someone screaming "help," and "you shot him" from one of the witnesses.
The woman said Blueitt showed up at the residence multiple times and was threatening one of the witnesses, according to police. One of the witnesses was allegedly waiting for Badoloto to arrive.
One of the women at the residence told Blueitt's ex-girlfriend that Blueitt had a gun and that he shot Badoloto, the statement says.
Another witness was in his bedroom when he heard a shot fired and thought it was a firecracker at first, according to the probable cause statement. That person allegedly told police that he saw Blueitt arrive in a mini white SUV and that he was yelling at one of the women. The witness said he saw Blueitt holding a handgun.
Another witness said they saw Blueitt point a gun to one of the women's faces and heard him say she "was lucky that he was not going to shoot her face off," according to the statement. That witness said Blueitt came back to the residence once Badoloto arrived.
That witness said Blueitt and Badoloto were in front of Badoloto's truck when she heard a gun go off, according to police.
That witness also told police that Blueitt then said, "You thought I was playing, I told you I wasn't playing," the statement said.
An ABC17 News reporter spoke to some residents on the street who wanted to remain nameless. According to them, there is frequent police activity in the area.
Check back for updates to this developing story.
