Jefferson City community holds peaceful march for man killed in shooting
Euphenie Andre
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A peaceful march unfolded in Jefferson City on Friday night, bringing together friends, family and community members to honor the late Erik Spencer II.
The event comes nearly a month after Spencer was shot and killed outside an Old Navy store while visiting Jefferson City for Lincoln University’s homecoming.
The march on Friday began at 4:30 p.m., with participants making their way from the Cole County Prosecutor’s Office to the steps of the Missouri Capitol. The crowd of roughly 20 people carried a strong, unified message: Justice for Erik.
From heartbroken friends and family to concerned community members, everyone present expressed a desire for answers.
“We need justice… please,” Spencer’s stepfather Sean Reynolds said.
Supporters spoke out about seeking transparency in the case.
“I just want to see change, you know, with stuff like this,” Thomas Barton, a supporter, said. “You know it’s 2025, and for things to be still going on like this without answers is just completely unacceptable.”
An incident report in previous reporting details the moments leading up to the shooting through calls to emergency dispatchers. The narrative said callers reported a man and woman in an argument before the shooting, which shattered plate glass in the front of the Old Navy store.
Spencer’s family continues to call for answers as the investigation moves forward.
“We know it’s an ongoing investigation, but you know, we just need some answers. Erik don’t deserve this,” Reynolds said.
Friday marked the second public event following a balloon release held on Nov. 11 in Erik’s memory. The march, organized by his sister Ka’leen Spencer, was supported by Jefferson City police officers who helped guide the group and ensure their safety as they moved through the streets, while Ka’leen voiced the family’s ongoing frustrations.”
“We’re here to demand transparency, to demand some answers,” she said.
The marchers carried signs and raised their voices, leaving no question about their purpose.
“We want to know the truth. I think that we deserve that. I think that the community deserves that and that my brother deserves justice,” Ka’leen Spencer said.
The march took place just one day after Thanksgiving, a holiday the Spencer family said felt incomplete without Erik.
“We’ve had my brother with us every holiday and he is the glue to our family,” Ka’leen Spencer said. “He’s the jokester, he’s the one that brings the party, he’s the one that brings the laughter and all of that. So to not have that I think that impacted our family greatly.”
Ka’leen Spencer said she hasn’t been able to fully grieve her brother’s death because she is focused on pursuing justice.
“If we had more answers, but at this time I think that I’m more concerned for getting justice and getting answers and then we’ll start the grieving process,” she said.
Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson told ABC 17 News on Friday that the investigation remains active and the family is being kept informed, but no additional details can be released at this time in order to protect the integrity of the case.
The family plans to attend Monday night’s Jefferson City Council meeting, inviting supporters to join them as they seek answers from officials. Following the meeting, a vigil will be held for Erik at 7 p.m. at 3535 Missouri Boulevard—the same location where he was shot and killed—marking one month since his passing.