Police tape off north Columbia strip mall after shooting; report another shooting scene

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia police taped off part of a parking lot outside a small north Columbia strip mall Tuesday afternoon for a shooting.

The department also said on social media that officers were investigating another shooting scene at a different location.

A few Columbia Police Department officers and CPD's crime scene investigation van were at the scene near Range Line Street and Rainforest Parkway. Police were called there at about 1:30 p.m.

An ABC 17 News reporter could see several evidence markers on the ground -- often an indication of bullet casings.

Employees at La Siesta, a Mexican restaurant in the strip mall, said they saw three people shooting at each other and driving away. Police at the scene didn't provide information.

A restaurant patron also witnessed the scene.

"The three teenage boys were walking like out of the gas station across the parking lot this way," Molly Edwards said. "The white Impala saw the boys, backed up, zoomed this way. The driver of the white Impala got out of the car, shot this direction towards all the boys. The boys started running and then cops showed up."

She said she saw police picking up bullet casings, including around her car.

Police also had a parking lot at The Links apartments on Clark Lane taped off. It's not clear whether the scenes are related. Police said on Twitter that a youth had walked into a hospital early Tuesday afternoon with a gunshot wound and officers found a scene in the 4700 block of Clark Lane.

(1) At approximately 12:45 p.m., Columbia Police learned that a juvenile male had walked into a local hospital for treatment for an apparent gunshot wound. Through their investigation, officers located a scene in the 4700 block of Clark Lane. pic.twitter.com/nHkjW9Rr5K

— ColumbiaPD (@ColumbiaPD) March 28, 2023

"We don't have any additional details regarding the victim's status, nor do we have any suspect information to share," CPD spokesman Christian Tabak said.

Tabak said CPD is still investigating both scenes and have yet to determine if these incidents are connected.

Tabak said police don't believe there's any immediate threat to the community.

Police tape was taken down at 4:11 p.m. at the second scene, after the Columbia Fire Department hosed down the area.