Mother of Columbia shooting victim calls for more school outreach, accountability from parents and better policing
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Columbia mother whose son was robbed and shot to death in 2025 is calling for more home outreach in schools and better policing, after a new report identified the need for community intervention and collaboration.
Faith Mejia lost her son Zarian Simpson in June 2025 after he was pistol-whipped and robbed in downtown Columbia and was later shot to death by his attackers.
Three teenagers and 34-year-old Steven Paden are accused in Simpson’s death. Rodney Moore Jr., 16, was certified and charged as an adult in February. Both are charged in Boone County with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and second-degree murder. They remain jailed without bond.
Video footage from a business showed four people robbing Simpson at gun point in the 900 block of East Broadway, court documents say.
Court documents in Paden’s case says Simpson called Boone County Joint Communications at 7:50 p.m. June 15, 2025, saying he was hit in the face with a gun and his bag was stolen. Simpson allegedly told EMS he was following the suspects while he was in his vehicle. Dispatchers heard shots ring out during the call and Simpson stopped responding, the probable cause statement says.
Mejia said many issues with the teens leading up to her son’s death started at school.
“We don’t have a conflict mediation program in Columbia Public Schools and I think we really need it,” Mejia said.
She thinks more can be done to carry resources over into the homes of students.
“There’s too much focus on chastising kids and not enough focus on the root problem of what’s going on,” Mejia said. “Homeschool communicators, I think that they their job could go a little bit deeper, maybe helping parents with resources.”
Mejia said she also sees accountability missing from parents.
“You’ve got too many parents who are just trying to be their kid’s friend,” Mejia said. “I referred two of my kids to the juvenile office and it hurt, but when we came out of that, we came out on top. I had a kid who was determined to graduate and get a job and make as much money as he could to reach those goals.”
She also claims there is not enough youth-friendly activities in the community that could help them stay out of trouble.
“The fun thing to do is to go to so-and-so’s house whose parents aren’t home, or have so-and-so pick me up who’s illegally driving their parents car just because they know how to drive,” Mejia said. “I think Columbia needs something free or low income for these kids to do.”
Mejia also called for more police training on building better relationships with local youth.
“A lot of these kids don’t even trust the police,” Mejia said. “They just need better training, and they’re horribly outnumbered eight times out of ten.”
Mejia suggested local police utilize other partner agencies to fill in the gaps that staffing shortages have caused until employment numbers balance out.
Moore’s next hearing is 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13. A hearing for Paden is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 and a jury trial is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15.
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