Boonville shooting suspect tied to Howard County home invasion
Marie Moyer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
No one was injured following a shooting in Boonville on Saturday night, according to the Boonville Police Department.
In a social media post, on Saturday, around 6:15 p.m. at the intersection of Main Street and Morgan Street, two people in a car got into a fight. This led to the driver leaving the vehicle and running away, and the suspect was the passenger pulling out a gun and firing from the inside of the vehicle.
The passenger then drove off in the vehicle. Police later found the vehicle and the suspect, the passenger, a short while later near New Franklin.
The Howard County Sheriff’s Office later reported that the suspect was connected to a reported home invasion in the Rosewood Subdivision, just outside of New Franklin
The suspect is being held on 24-hour investigative detention. Charges will be filed by the Cooper County Prosecutor’s office.
Residents describe Boonville as a quiet, small town and said incidents like this are uncommon. Business owners along Main Street told ABC 17 they rarely feel unsafe, despite noticing an increase in police activity.
Terry Quinlan, owner of the antique shop Vintage Vibes, has run his business on Main Street for the past two years. “Very calm. We feel safe here,” he said, recalling his hometown. Quinlan was unaware of Saturday’s incident, as his store closes at 4 p.m., but he said violent events are rare in the area. “It’s a rare occurrence here in town,” Quinlan said. “I know there’s more that goes on in Columbia, but it’s very rare here in town.”
Right across the street from Quinlan is Your Money’s Worth Antique Mall. Volunteer Anthony Cox agreed with Quinlan, stating there has been a small uptick in shootings, usually involving youth, but nothing he considers alarming. “I think it’s just kids trying to act tough,” he said.
Cox added that his wife, who works at Hotel Frederick, witnessed the scene Saturday. “She saw that they had Main Street kind of closed down from about the edge of the bridge pretty much all the way downtown. They were taking care of the scene, making sure they got all the evidence they needed, and they just stated to everybody that it was a crime scene,” he said.
According to Boonville police, Saturday’s shooting marks the fourth reported shooting in the city in 2025.
Boonville police responded to shots fired around 3 p.m. May 9 at Main Street and Rankin Mill Lane. Officers found evidence a gun was discharged, but no injuries were reported. The suspect or suspects fled before police arrived.
On July 24th BPD responded around 10:30 a.m. to a report of a gunshot victim near Main and High Streets. Officers found a man inside a vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound. Police said the shooting occurred elsewhere in Howard County, and the victim drove himself to the location.
On Nov. 24th police responded to shots fired near Sixth and Locust streets after a man fired a gun following an argument with a woman. The suspect fled on foot but was later located on Seventh Street and taken into custody with a firearm.
ABC 17 has reached out to the Boonville Police Department for the suspect’s identity. Officers said additional information is expected to be released Monday.