Man accused in deadly downtown Columbia shooting pleads not guilty
Jazsmin Halliburton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The man accused in a deadly shooting in downtown Columbia on homecoming weekend has pleaded not guilty to the shooting death of a Stephens College student.
Misael Covarrubias, 23, is facing charges of second-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action, two counts of first-degree assault and a single count of unlawful use of a weapon in the shooting death of Aiyanna Williams.
Covarrubias entered his not guilty plea via WebX in front of Judge Stephanie Morrell Monday morning in the Boone County Courthouse during his arraignment. He was indicted by a grand jury last month.
In September, on the University of Missouri’s homecoming weekend, police responded to the 800 block of East Broadway in downtown Columbia, where they found three people shot just before 2 a.m.
According to court documents, Covarrubias was involved in an argument before he fired 11 shots into the crowded street, killing bystander Aiyanna Williams.
When asked by police, Covarrubias allegedly said that he didn’t know who he was shooting at and admitted that he had been drinking before the shooting.
Covarrubias told police that he is from Florida but had been living in Columbia for about five months.
The shooting prompted University of Missouri System President Mun Choi to call for action to reduce crime in Columbia and Mayor Barbara Buffaloe to call for a special task force.