COLUMBIA — Around 30 shots were fired in downtown Columbia in the early morning hours of Halloween in a gang-related incident, Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude said in a news conference Friday morning.
The Columbia Police Department organized the news conference following the arrest of De’Koryon White, 23, who is accused of firing a shot that left a 36-year-old woman with life-threatening injuries.
White was charged Tuesday with first-degree assault, discharging a firearm at a person, and two counts of armed criminal action, and his charges were unsealed following his arrest on Thursday, according to court records.
White is currently in the Boone County Jail and is expected to make an initial appearance in court at 1 p.m. Friday.
Two other people had previously been arrested in connection to the shooting, which happened in an alley near the intersection of Eighth and Walnut streets. Police believe at least seven people fired guns during the shootout.
Demarquen Allen, 28, faces state charges of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon by exhibiting it. Iseah Jackson, 23, faces a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During the news conference, Schlude said four other men have been arrested in connection to the shooting, and a 16-year-old boy has been detained.
She said investigators believe gang-related activity led to the Halloween shooting, alluding to the fact that these gangs could be dealing with a family matter.
“It is remarkable that more people weren’t injured,” Schlude said.
Watch the full news conference
The initial investigation further revealed that a total of 30 shots were fired, and 11 firearms were recovered during further investigation, including AR-15 style pistols, according to a news release from the Columbia Police Department.
These guns and bullets will be used to further trace any additional connections to the shooting.
Schlude also said video from the scene of incident was obtained through a mixture of private surveillance, Flock Safety cameras and license plate readerscalling it one of the most shocking videos in her two decades of law enforcement.
Schlude called these tools essential to preventing further violence in Columbia.
“These tools make a meaningful difference in our ability to investigate violence and hold those accountable,” Schlude said.
Furthermore, Schlude called the video critical to the case, as only one witness came forward to speak on the incident.
She stressed that anyone involved in cases like these within Columbia would be prosecuted at the federal level, working with both local law partners and federal ones like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“Our message is clear: If you unlawfully posses a firearm or use a firearm to endanger others in Columbia, we will use every available avenue to hold you accountable,” Schlude said.
Schlude asked that anyone who witnessed the shooting come forward, and she asked for the public’s help in identifying another individual who was allegedly at the scene of the shooting. The investigation is also still ongoing and video will not be released anytime soon.
Schlude said businesses on the street were closed and that none of the suspects were seen coming in or out of a business nearby.
She also stressed that extra law enforcement will be out for the game this weekend, saying the Police Department always does this on game days.
Suspects connected to shooting
Iseah Jackson, 23of Columbia, was arrested on Saturday and charged federally with felon in possession of a firearm.
Columbia Police Department detectives identified Jackson as being present at the scene of the shooting, according to an affidavit filed in his case. Jackson had two warrants out for his arrest, and he was later taken into custody during a traffic stop, according to the affidavit.
Demarquen Allen, 28of Columbia, was arrested on Saturday for unlawful use of a weapon by exhibiting and armed criminal action.
Surveillance footage from the west side of The Blue Note shows Allen standing in an alley pulling out his gun and point it north toward Walnut Street, according to court documents. Allen then allegedly ran from the scene with his gun in his hand, and was later pulled over during a traffic stop where his girlfriend was driving.
A search warrant for Allen’s apartment allegedly found six firearms and the clothing he wore that morning, according to court documents.
Kelvin Clark, 22of Columbia, was arrested on Tuesday for armed criminal action, assault in the first-degree and unlawful use of a weapon, exhibiting and shooting at/from a motor vehicle.
Flock camera footage caught Clark entering the alley off Walnut Street and then 20 seconds later, backing out of the alley while shooting his gun into the alley, according to a probable cause statement. Police said Clark was then seen running away from the scene and waving to White to follow him.
Demarcus Cain Jr., 25of Columbia, was arrested on Wednesday for assault in the fourth-degree and unlawful use of a weapon, exhibiting.
Court documents on Cain’s arrest were not available in Missouri’s online case database as of Friday afternoon.
De’Koryon White, 23of Columbia, was arrested on Thursday for armed criminal action, assault in the first degree and unlawful use of a weapon, exhibiting and shooting at/from a motor vehicle.
Flock camera footage also shows White standing at the entrance of the alley, and then pull out an AR style pistol from his backpack and fire multiple shots into the alley, according to a probable cause statement. Police said White fired into a crowd of 12 people. He was then seen fleeing the scene and putting the gun back into his backpack.
Police said White was previously arrested in August for being in possession of an AR style pistol.
Treyvale Cain-Raybon, 21of Columbia, was arrested on Thursday for armed criminal action, assault in the first-degree and unlawful use of a weapon, exhibiting and shooting at/from a motor vehicle.
A federal criminal complaint against Cain-Raybon said surveillance footage shows him getting into an argument with a group of individuals and then point a firearm at another subject. Cain-Raybon then allegedly went behind a car parked nearby and then fired his gun twice. A federal officer investigating the incident said the shell casings found at the scene matched the casings seen falling out of Cain-Raybon’s gun when he fired it.
Cain-Raybon was previously convicted of felony unlawful use of a weapon in Boone County, according to the complaint.
Detravion Coats, 21of Columbia, was arrested on Thursday for armed criminal action, assault in the first-degree and unlawful use of a weapon, exhibiting and shooting at/from a motor vehicle.
A federal criminal complaint against Coats also said he was part of the argument that happened before the shooting. He also got near the car parked nearby and then fired his gun 10 times, according to the court filing. A federal investigator said the shell casings found at the scene matched the casings seen falling out of Coats’ gun when he fired it.
According to a news release form the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Coats has prior felony convictions for involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault and resisting arrest for his involvement in a shooting death.
A juvenile male, 16of Columbia, was arrested on Thursday for armed criminal action, assault in the first degree and unlawful use of a weapon, exhibiting and shooting at/from a motor vehicle.
Source: www.komu.com
