Month: September 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 14-year-old boy had non-life-threatening injuries after he was shot Saturday afternoon in the 10000 block of I-70 Drive Northeast, according to a Monday afternoon email from Boone County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Brian Leer.

Leer wrote deputies were called to a report of shots being fired around 3 p.m. that day. The youth was able to give law enforcement a description of the vehicle used and claimed one or more people shot at him, Leer wrote.

Deputies found “several” youths supposedly involved and determined they were meeting to sell drugs when shots were fired, Leer wrote.

One youth was arrested on suspicion of unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action; while another was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action, Leer wrote.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Missouri lottery player who won half of the $1.787 billion jackpot over the weekend bought their ticket at a QuikTrip in the St. Louis area, according to a Monday press release.

The Powerball ticket was bought at the QuikTrip at 12110 Lusher Road in St. Louis, the release says. A second winning ticket was purchased by someone in Texas.

“It was a record setting night for the Missouri Lottery, with the $893.5 million prize ranking as the highest jackpot prize won in Missouri to date,” Missouri Lottery Executive Director Lester Elder said in the release. “It exceeds the previous record of $293.7 million from a Powerball drawing held in November 2012.”

The winner has 180 days to claim their prize and can choose to receive it among one-of-two options, the release says. They can take one lump-sum of $410.3 million or the full $893.5 million in 30 annuity payments, the release says. Both options are before taxes.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A now-former Miller County deputy has been charged with five counts of first-degree child molestation.

Kyle Carroll was arrested on Saturday in Cooper County and was brought to the Eldon Police Department, according to a probable cause statement filed on Monday. Court documents say he is being held at the Osage County Jail without bond. A court date has not been scheduled.

The probable cause statement says troopers were called to a residence on Friday evening for a report of a sexual assault on a minor. Law enforcement was allegedly told Carroll molested the victim in April or May, court documents say.

Carroll allegedly admitted to having sexual encounters with the youth on several occasions, the statement says.

Previous reporting indicates Carroll was suspended once the allegations were made.

“These allegations are deeply troubling. We take them with the utmost seriousness. No one is above the law, and our responsibility is first and foremost to protect the safety and well-being of the community, especially its most vulnerable members,” a Saturday night press release from Miller County Sheriff Louie Gregoire says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Boonville man has been charged with two felonies after he was allegedly found with child pornography.

Lance Larkin, 35, was charged with first-degree promoting child pornography and child porn possession. He is being held at the Cooper County Jail without bond. An arraignment is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The probable cause statement says the Missouri State Highway Patrol was conducting an online investigation on Aug. 2 and found an IP address associated with a file of child porn that was shared. The IP address was associated with Larkin’s home address, which was investigated on Friday.

Thousands of files of child porn were found on his computer, the statement says.

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Matthew Sanders

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

House Republicans signaled Monday that they’re willing to set a higher bar for measures to make the statewide ballot in Missouri and to redraw the state’s congressional map.

The House voted 96-55 on a bill to reform the state’s initiative petition process, by which citizens can get questions onto the ballot. Hours later, the House approved the new congressional map, 89-63. A final vote could take place on Tuesday.

The vote on initiative petition reform followed more than an hour of debate during which Democrats argued the new bar for passage — approval from a majority of voters statewide and in each of the state’s eight congressional districts — is unreasonably high.

The bill includes an amendment sponsored by Rep. Ed Lewis (R-Moberly) that bars foreign spending on initiative petition elections.

The bill would put a question on the November ballot to reform the initiative petition process.

Lawmakers moved on after the vote to debate a new congressional map.

Debate over redistricting

The battle over redistricting also erupted in the Missouri House on Thursday as lawmakers debated for hours over a new congressional map that would likely give Republicans a 7-1 advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The proposed “Missouri First” map, backed by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, would split Kansas City’s Fifth District, currently represented by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, into three districts. Republicans say the new lines better reflect the state’s values, while Democrats argue the plan would dilute minority voting power.

“There is nothing that has happened that would justify doing this other than the desire for pure undistilled power,” Cleaver said. “The city is now going to have three different members of Congress representing it, and that just dilutes the voters, particularly on the West side, where we have primarily a Hispanic community, and on the east side, the Black community.”

Republicans defended the map during the heated debate on the House Floor. Questions arose over who drew the map. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Drik Deaton (R-McDonald), said the map came directly from the governor’s office.

“Constituents have said it loud and clear that they fear for their children’s future because of insane policies of the left, and that is the real reason we’re here,” said Rep. Justin Sparks, a Republican from St. Louis County.

Rep. John Martin (R-Boone County), said he supports the former president’s political agenda and believes the new map will be beneficial for the state.

“I support Donald Trump. I support his America First agenda. I believe what he’s trying to do is improving every aspect of American lives,” Martin said. “I think it’s very important practically to give as many Missourians the opportunity to put a Missouri first and America first type of agenda in place, because I think these are the type of principles that actually will improve our state.”

However, Democrats argued that the new map is designed solely to protect President Donald Trump.

“If he loses the House, that’s where inspections and where they investigate crimes. Unconstitutional crimes. And this bill, or redistricting, is designed to protect himself,” Rep. Adrian Plank (D-Boone County) said.

Other Democrats feared taking political power away from Black communities in Kansas City.

“A thousand years from now, people are going to look back at this moment,” Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Boone County) said. “Now is the time our republic is at stake, our democracy is at stake and I call my colleagues to do the right thing. This is wrong and it’s immoral.”

The measure is expected to pass the Republican-led chamber. A final House vote, along with a separate measure to reform the state’s initiative petition process, is expected Tuesday before both bills head to the Senate.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman whose blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit to drive was charged after she allegedly hit multiple cyclists Sunday morning at Binder Park in Jefferson City, court documents say.

Tatum Townsend, 25, of Fulton, was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, second-degree assault, misdemeanor fourth-degree assault, two counts of first-degree property damage, one count of leaving the scene of an accident and armed criminal action.

She is being held at the Cole County Jail without bond. An arraignment was held on Monday, where she pleaded not guilty. A counsel status hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday.

She allegedly hit two cyclists on Sunday before a race at the park and broke two bicycles after hitting them with her SUV, the probable cause statement says. One of the victims was brought to an area hospital with a swollen and possibly broken ankle, the statement says. That victim claimed Townsend straightened out her vehicle and accelerated directly at a number of cyclists, court documents say.

Townsend is accused of causing roughly $14,400 in damage, according to court documents. She was arrested in the 4400 block of Rainbow Drive.

Townsend had pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2024, to misdemeanor DWI and was sentenced to two years of probation.

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