Month: August 2026

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the June death of an electrician who died while working on the University of Missouri’s Memorial Stadium renovation project.

Corey Sooter, 44, died on June 10 after working at Memorial Stadium on June 5. He was a foreman for BK2 Electrical and Design and was an electrical contractor working on the project.

Records obtained by ABC 17 News from the Columbia Fire Department show first responders were dispatched at 9:05 a.m. and arrived at Faurot Field five minutes later, where they met with University of Missouri medics who were treating Sooter.

According to the incident report, firefighters used a hot stick to check the electrical wiring and determined it was still energized. CFD listed the incident type as electrocution. 

An OSHA inspection of BK2 Electrical & Design opened June 11, according to the agency’s inspection records, and remains ongoing.

“The University of Missouri community is deeply saddened by the passing of Corey Sooter. Our thoughts and prayers are with Corey’s family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time,” an MU spokesperson told ABC 17 News in a statement. “The university will comply with OSHA as it continues to investigate.”

Sooter was married and had a son and three daughters. The Holts Summit native worked as an electrician for several companies before joining BK2 Electrical & Design, where he served as a foreman. His obituary states he completed the IBEW Local 257 apprenticeship program after attending the Columbia Area Career Center.

In a June 13 Facebook post, BK2 Electrical & Design remembered Sooter as a leader and mentor who made a lasting impact on his coworkers.

“He led by example, worked with integrity, and genuinely cared about the people around him. Whether on the jobsite, with his family, or among friends, Corey had a way of making people feel valued, respected, and appreciated,” the company wrote in the post. “His laugh was contagious, his presence was genuine, and his heart for others was unmistakable. He was always willing to lend a hand, share his knowledge, encourage those around him, and help make others better. The impact he made on our team and in the lives of so many people will not be forgotten.”

Sooter was also an organ donor. According to his obituary, his donation helped save five lives.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Large gaps in academic proficiency persist between student demographic groups at Columbia Public Schools, according to state testing scores from last year.

CPS has struggled for years with what some leaders have called the “achievement gap,” which refers to the disparity in standardized test scores between certain student demographics and their peers. This year’s scores show Black students were nearly 30 percentage points behind the overall student average, despite gains over the last five years.

That dynamic was seen in 2025 scores, as well. During the 2024-2025 school year, Black fourth graders scored 9.4% proficient in math, compared to 19.6% for students overall. The gap grew in fifth grade, at 7.3% and 21.4%, respectively.

The scores are used by state officials to grade schools and make up a major part of the state’s Annual Performance Reports for schools. The state can intervene in schools that show continued poor performance.

Overall, the district’s scores were up over 2024-2025 in every subject, according to a presentation being given to the Columbia Board of Education on Monday night. English scores were up 1.8% over last year, while math was up 3.7%, according to the presentation.

English language learners, students on free and reduced-price meals, students on special learning plans and Black and Hispanic students all lagged behind the overall district scores. Most of those categories have remained on an upward trajectory over the past five school years.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Huntsville man was charged on Monday after he allegedly pointed a gun at a woman on Saturday at his residence and refused to let her leave.

Ethan Cruse, 18, was charged with second-degree kidnapping, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and third-degree domestic assault.

He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment on Monday and is being held on a no-bond warrant, though his information did not appear in the Randolph County Jail’s online records. A bond hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17.

The probable cause statement says the victim was at her mother’s residence and Cruse started arguing with her about getting McDonald’s. The pair went into Cruse’s vehicle and Cruse refused to take the victim back to her mother’s residence after she asked during the argument, the statement says.

Cruse allegedly had scratched and torn the victim’s shirt while trying to keep her from leaving the vehicle when they arrived at his residence before the pair went into the home, the statement says. Cruse allegedly pointed a gun at the woman’s head, demanded she not speak to anyone and took her cellphone, the statement says.

Cruse took a shower, which is when the victim hid his gun and messaged a friend for help, the statement says. Cruse allegedly threated to “shoot anyone who attempted to help” the victim, court documents say.

Law enforcement arrived and Cruse shoved the victim while the victim tried to leave and he was looking for his handgun, the statement says. Cruse allegedly then threatened to use an AR-15 or crossbow, court documents allege. He was eventually arrested by deputies.

Editor’s note: Layton’s middle name has been corrected.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was charged in Randolph County after he allegedly shot someone during a fight on Saturday.

Jeffery Dale Layton, 41, was charged on Monday with first-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action, illegal gun possession and unlawful use of a weapon.

A no-bond warrant was issued and Layton appeared for an arraignment on Monday by video from the jail, though his information and mugshot were not available in online jail records. Layton pleaded not guilty on Monday and has a hearing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17, court filings show.

The probable cause statement says a witness let in the victim, who was locked out of the home on Saturday night. One witness claimed the victim and Layton mutually caused the fight before Layton fired shots, though that witness then claimed Layton started the fight “if she were to guess,” court documents say.

Two teenagers at the residence reported hearing gunshots after leaving the area where the fight occurred, deputies wrote. Layton’s wife allegedly told deputies that the victim started the fight, court documents say.

Law enforcement wrote that shooting occurred in the kitchen of the home and spent shell casings, a bullet and a handgun were found at the scene. The victim had a gunshot wound in their abdomen when deputies arrived and they were brought to an area hospital with serious injuries, the statement says.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia woman was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Friday after she pleaded guilty in June to stabbing a man last year.

Brianna Boone pleaded guilty on June 15 to first-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.

Previous reporting shows that Boone allegedly admitted to law enforcement that she tried to kill the man over an argument. The victim had called one of his parents the night of the stabbing to say he was attacked, previous reporting says.

The parent then went to Boone’s residence and saw her on top of the victim with blood all over the floor, court documents in previous reporting say.