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Vigil held for two Jefferson City residents killed during bar fight

Flowers J. Pfenny's
KMIZ
Flowers outside J. Pfenny's after Nov. 26, 2022, shooting.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Editor's note: This article was updated to more accurately represent the findings of the police investigation.

A vigil was held Saturday evening for the two Jefferson City residents killed earlier that day during a fight at J. Pfenny's Sports Grill and Pub.

The Cole County prosecutor charged a Kansas City man with two counts of first-degree murder after shooting and killing two at a Jefferson City bar early Saturday morning.

Two were shot just before 1 a.m. Saturday inside J. Pfenny's Sports Grill and Pub. According to a news release, Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson charged 35-year-old Damien L. Davis with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a weapon. Davis remains in police custody.

The two victims were 26-year-old Skylar Smock and 43-year-old Corey Thames of Jefferson City, according to Cole County Prosecutors.

Jefferson City Police are investigating after two people were shot and killed inside J. Pfenny's Sports Grill and Pub early Saturday morning. Family members were notified by Jefferson City Police.

According to a news release, Jefferson City Police responded to a report of multiple shots fired at 12:56 a.m. Once at the bar, police located the two victims and arrested Davis.

Police response times were quick with multiple officers from several agencies arriving on the scene within minutes, according to a news release. When police arrived on scene, they found two people had suffered from gunshot wounds.

When ABC 17 News crews arrived on scene they could see four Jefferson City Police vehicles, crime scene investigator vans and crime scene tape surrounding the bar.

Through an investigation, police determined the shooting resulted from a fight. Smock, an employee at the bar, attempted to break up the fight and escort Thames out of the business when Davis began firing a handgun.

Police say Davis admitted to firing a handgun at Thames and unintentionally shooting Smock. Davis has prior charges that prohibit him from possessing a gun.

This is a developing story, check back for updates and watch ABC 17 News after the game.

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Erika McGuire

Erika McGuire originally comes from Detriot. She is a reporter and weekend anchor on ABC 17 News.

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