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Man dead after central Columbia shooting

Crime scene tape closed off Allen Street from North Garth Avenue in central Columbia on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
Nia Hinson/KMIZ
Crime scene tape closed off Allen Street from North Garth Avenue in central Columbia on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man is dead in central Columbia after he was shot on Wednesday afternoon.

Columbia Police Department spokesman Colin Imhoff said William Riechers, 20, of Columbia, was the victim in the shooting. He was pronounced dead at the scene. There is no information on if a suspect is in custody.  Imhoff said the shooting occurred around 3:45 p.m.

Police were called to the intersection of Allen and Bryant streets in a neighborhood just west of Providence Road. Officers put up crime scene tape on Allen Street, which closed it off from North Garth Avenue.

There is no threat to the public. Crime scene tape came down at 6:30 p.m. At least a dozen officers were at the scene.

An ABC 17 News photographer saw someone on a stretcher and CPR being conducted by first responders. A tarp was then placed on the body. The body was moved to a white van at 5:49 p.m.

A reporter saw 13 evidence markers placed by police.

Because of its proximity, four schools in the Columbia Public Schools district were put on a "secure," where no one can enter or leave the buildings, according to an email from district spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark. Douglass High School and Ridgeway and Grant elementary schools were included in that, though it primarily affected staff since school had been dismissed. Hickman's dismissal was delayed for about three minutes, Baumstark said.

Check back for updates.

Article Topic Follows: Crime

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