Second ‘No Kings’ protests happening Saturday around Mid-Missouri

KMIZ on October 17, 2025

Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Protesters plan to gather across Mid-Missouri as part of the national “No Kings” protest in opposition to President Donald Trump and his administration.

This is the second such protest in Columbia, with the first taking place in June.

Mid-Missouri Peaceworks will gather at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Boone County Courthouse. Organizers are expecting about 200 people to attend, according to documents filed with the county.

Peacework’s Sustainability Coordinator Laura Wacker said in an interview Friday afternoon, there could 1,000-3,000 people in attendance, but it all depends on the weather.

The organization plans to have 10 trained volunteers to help with security.

“In the unlikely event that we need to evacuate the area, we would simply encourage participants to walk away in an orderly fashion, and would assist any with mobility issues,” Peaceworks wrote.

Cpt. Brian Leer, of the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, said the last protest was peaceful and he hopes Saturday’s will be the same.

“We don’t have any intel that leads us to anticipate there will be any problems at the event,” Leer wrote in an email. “We understand there is always a possibility that an incident could occur, so we will monitor the event and have personnel on standby to respond if needed.”

Some Facebook posts suggested counter-protesting could occur. Wacker said they’re welcome to use their First Amendment right at the No Kings protest.

“We’re not going to shut anyone down for speaking against things that we necessarily might not believe in, but everyone in America should be heard,” Wacker said.

Boone County Republican Central Committee Chair Lisa Gore wrote that county Republican’s don’t plan on counter-protesting. MU’s chapter of Turning Point USA also stated it would not stage a counter protest.

According to a press release from We Stand United, Missouri has nearly 50 peaceful protests planned and more than 2,200 events nationwide.

People are also gathering at the Capitol in Jefferson City on Saturday, starting at noon. State Rep. Elizabeth Fuchs (D-St. Louis) plans to give a speech.

Protests are also happening at the Boonville County Courthouse and Fulton City Hall, both start at 11 a.m.

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Jefferson City man accused of killing two women pleads not guilty

KMIZ on October 17, 2025

Olivia Hayes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man accused of shooting and killing two women last week pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance since being indicted by a grand jury on Thursday.

Michael Davis, 40, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and a single count of unlawful use of a weapon in the deaths of his wife, Shawna Davis, 39, and her friend, Sofie Mulcahey, 31.

Davis appeared in court on Friday via video call, as being held at the Cole County Jail without bond.

Court documents say Jefferson City police were investigating a crash in the early morning hours of Oct. 7 when they heard multiple shots being fired nearby.

Officers responded and found two women with gunshot wounds inside a vehicle in a wooded area in the 1100 block of Cordell Street, along with 30 shell casings nearby. They had life-threatening injuries and were brought to University Hospital, where they later died.

Witnesses recall hearing Davis and Shawna arguing that morning and Davis allegedly pulled out a long gun, according to previous reporting.

Davis allegedly told police that he does not like Mulcahey, cited in court documents as “Victim 2”. He got into an argument with Mulcahey when she arrived at the home, but did not enter it, according to court documents.

Police wrote that Davis said he thought Shawna, referred to in court documents as “Victim 1”, was being forced into a vehicle by the Mulcahey and fired several rounds at the car.

Davis’s next hearing is set for Nov. 10.

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Columbia man sentenced to probation after completing shock program for sorority house break-in

KMIZ on October 17, 2025

Madison Stuerman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man who pleaded guilty to forcing his way into a University of Missouri sorority house was released on probation.

According to court records, Jeffrey Wheeland Jr. pleaded guilty to amended charges in July. He was sentenced to seven years concurrent, seven for second-degree burglary and four years for exhibiting an unlawful use of a weapon.

As part of a plea agreement, a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree assault was dropped. An original charge of second-degree kidnapping was also amended to unlawful use of a weapon.

As part of his sentencing, Wheeland was given probation on Oct. 14 after completing a 120-day shock program at the Department of Corrections, according to court records.

Wheeland will be on supervised probation for five years once he is released from Department of Corrections custody on Nov. 12, according to online records.

Court documents state that Wheeland forced his way into the Sigma Kappa Sorority house on Feb. 4 and locked himself in a study room occupied by a student.

Police said Wheeland was in the basement study room in the house while he was holding multiple chef knives with the door locked and blocked by a chair. Police wrote that Wheeland listened to officers when told to open the door, and he was taken into custody without incident.

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Columbia man sentenced to life in prison for deadly 2022 shooting

KMIZ on October 17, 2025

Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man found guilty of a deadly 2022 shooting was sentenced to life in prison on Friday afternoon.

Boone County Judge Jacobs decided in court that Isaac Bryant, 38, will serve life in prison and will have the possibility for parole after 30 years. Bryant was also given 10 years for armed criminal action, he will serve the sentences consecutively with credit for time served.

In August, Isaac Bryant was found guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Demetrius Ware in May of 2022.

Prosecutors allege Bryant killed Ware, 37, in the 800 block of Grand Avenue. Police said Bryant drove by the home and shot Ware. Ware was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

At the time of the trial, the state showed the jury a map of three areas where Bryant’s phone pinged. The prosecution argued the path led him to the home where the shooting occurred, in a blue Impala that they believe he drove.

Text messages were also brought as evidence between Bryant and the state’s eyewitness that he was planning to be in the area where the shooting took place. Prosecutors claim that Bryant shot Ware after becoming jealous that he was there.

Bryant’s attorneys filed a motion for a new trial in September and made their argument in the courtroom Friday. They cited issues with cell phone data the prosecution used during the trial to place Bryant on or around Grand Avenue at the time of the 2022 shooting.

Jacobs ultimately denied their motion.

Ware’s mother and sister also shared victim-impact statements in the courtroom. His mother detailed the night her son was shot and how she found out about what happened to him. She told Bryant his actions were the result of jealousy, personal hatred and greed.

Ware’s sister read from a book Demetrius wrote when he was 9 years old about getting hit by a car and seriously hurt. At the end of the book, Demetrius talked about being grateful to be alive because his family would miss him.

Following court Friday, his sister spoke to ABC 17 News and said that feeling could be more true after his passing.

“We miss Demetrius,” Ware’s sister Kimberly Jordan-Sheley said. “Every Mother’s Day we are constantly reminded of the death, the loss, the shooting that just made a very powerful impact on our on our life.”

No friends or family were present for Bryant in the courtroom Friday, or during trial proceedings.

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QUESTION OF THE DAY: Should school and law enforcement active shooter drills be required by law?

KMIZ on October 17, 2025

Matthew Sanders

The threat of active shooters is a reality of life in modern America.

Attacks have been perpetrated in a variety of settings, but schools have been a favorite target of mass shooters in the 21st century.

That has spurred most states, including Missouri, to pass laws requiring active shooter drills in schools. The requirement won’t go into effect until fall 2026.

Meanwhile, only one state requires law enforcement to hold drills — Texas, where 19 students and two teachers were gunned down in 2022 in Uvalde.

Do you think laws should require both schools and law enforcement to conduct active shooter drills? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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Man sentenced to probation in 2023 Jefferson City park shooting

KMIZ on October 17, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was charged in connection with a 2023 shooting at McClung Park in Jefferson City pleaded guilty this week to a felony.

Syvonn Byrd, of Jefferson City, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to unlawful use of a weapon and was sentenced to five years of supervised probation. He was previously charged with first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. 

One witness had identified Byrd, according to the probable cause statement described in previous reporting. The witness allegedly told police that Byrd took out a gun from his waistband on Oct. 5, pointed it at several people at a party and shot, court documents in previous reporting say. Court documents say the witness’ account lined up with video recordings seen by law enforcement.

Other people accused in the shooting — that injured two people – took plea deals. Laquan Boose, of Jefferson City, pleaded guilty on Oct. 9 to accessory to unlawful use of a weapon and was sentenced to five years of supervised probation.

He was previously charged with accessory to first-degree assault, accessory to unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and accessory to resisting arrest.

Raymond White-Murry, of Fulton, pleaded guilty in 2024 to aiding and abetting a shooting and was sentenced to five years of supervised probation. He originally faced that charge and armed criminal action.

Dayjuan Crossland is currently charged with accessory to first-degree assault, accessory to unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action. He has a hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10.

Previous reporting says Crossland was injured in the shooting, but was accused of pulling a gun and firing during an argument at a party with about 100 people at McClung Park. Police found at three least calibers of ammunition at the park.

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Spencer Smith announces bid for Boone County circuit associate judge

KMIZ on October 17, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Attorney Spencer Smith in a Thursday press release announced his candidacy for the Division 9 Boone County Circuit associate judge role.

The release says Smith graduated from Washburn University School of Law in 2017 and worked as the deputy district attorney in Josephine County in Oregon until he became a public defender in Roseburg, Oregon. He then joined the Boone County prosecutor’s office from 2021-23 before going into private practice, the release says.

He then became a public defender in the Columbia trial office, the release says.

He previously served in the United States Navy and currently lives in Columbia with his family, the release says. He volunteers with the Agape Ministry, and is a member of the NAACP, the ACLU and the Boone County Democrats, the release says.

“Having served as both a prosecutor and a public defender, I have a deep appreciation for the importance of impartiality and fairness in our judicial system,” Smith said in the release. “I am running for Associate Judge because I believe our courts must remain fair, independent, and accessible to everyone.”

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CID hopes downtown Columbia maintains historic character as MU seeks developers for entertainment district

KMIZ on October 17, 2025

Euphenie Andre

COLUMBI, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri is looking for developers interested in helping create a new entertainment and hospitality district on campus a project aimed at boosting the local economy and enhancing the gameday experience for fans.

The university said its goal is to create an experience similar to the University of Tennessee and Iowa State University. There will be three development zones that the university has designated for developers:

Development Zone No. 1: North Campus/Central Business District

Fifth and Locust streets north – .70 acres

Fifth and Locust streets south – .80 acres

Tenth and Locust streetd – .50 acres

Hitt and Paquin streetd – .70 acres

University Avenue .70 acres

Development Zone No. 2: Campus Core

Flat Branch Creek – 12.3 acres

Stadium Boulevard and Tiger Avenue – 6 acres

Stadium Boulevard and College Avenue – 9 acres

Development Zone #3: Athletic Sports Complex

Hearnes Complex – 34 acres

Gustin Golf Course – 230 acres

Downtown Community Improvement District Executive Director Nickie Davis told ABC 17 News that maintaining downtown Columbia’s historic character will be an important factor moving forward.

“We are registered as a historic downtown. So keeping those vibes, if you will, would be great. Not bringing in something that looks totally opposite of what we have down here would be fantastic. But, you know, it’s always cool to see a new, interesting building go up,” she said.

Since the project is still in its early stages, most business owners in downtown Columbia told ABC 17 News on Thursday they didn’t have any comment just yet.

However, Davis said she’s excited to see the university’s growth and supports creating more opportunities for the community.

“Hopefully that involves a lot of new small business, local business that would go into those areas,” Davis said. “I think it’s great. That’s super exciting. We all know we’re a growing city, so any more added places that people can go to have fun, safe, fun is fantastic.”

As of Wednesday, the university is seeking potential developers to build new structures such as hotels, restaurants, housing and an entertainment district all within the three potential development zones near campus.

Davis said there are key differences when it comes to how these entertainment zones may operate.

“Entertainment districts, as I understand, their noise ordinance would be different than ours. Their open containers would be different than ours.” Davis said.

According to university spokesman Christopher Ave, developers will be responsible for all financial aspects of their proposed projects. While MU isn’t planning to use its own funds or bonding capacity, the university isn’t opposed to developers issuing bonds if needed.

The University of Missouri will hold a pre-submittal meeting for interested developers at 1 p.m. Nov. 10 and will continue to accept applications until Jan. 9, 2026.

MU freshman Matthew Slaughter believes the idea could bring more life to downtown Columbia.

“I feel like that would be really beneficial for more engagement for downtown life especially. I know juniors and seniors live more downtown, so it’s a good way to involve them more down there,” Slaughter said.

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Schlude say police have limited options for calls about homelessness; RATI director points at City Council for ‘lack of action’

KMIZ on October 17, 2025

Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

Following calls from University of Missouri System President Mun Choi to address homelessness in downtown Columbia, police say their options remain limited.

At a September press conference, Choi urged city leaders to consider a loitering ordinance and take steps to “clean up encampments” and tackle homelessness.

Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude said during a meeting on Wednesday that most of the department’s calls related to homelessness are for trespassing.

“I think it’s important for people to understand that the police department, we’re not policing housing status, we’re policing behavior,” Schlude said during a “Let’s Talk Local” event at Missouri United Methodist Church. “So we’re responding to what people are doing that is not within the law, and just the way the world is right now, we get called to handle a lot of things that really aren’t things that we handle. So mental health issues, addiction issues, things of that nature.”

Schlude said roughly 86% of the calls police receive about the unhoused are for trespassing. She added that officers are often left with few options when responding to mental health or substance abuse calls.

“Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of options for mental health care,” Schlude said. “We can take them to MUPC, their bed space is extremely limited. We do have some resources over at Burrell. They have a 24-hour facility now, but a lot of that requires voluntary [action]. So people have to be voluntary. We can’t force people to go into treatment.”

She added the city is not trying to criminalize homelessness, but rather address behaviors that break the law or cause concern. City Manager De’Carlon Seewood said the city has also seen inconsistencies in how businesses respond to the unhoused population and is working with business leaders to create more uniform downtown policies.

The city is also asking local businesses to sign “letters of enforcement” allowing police to act on trespassing issues.

“I’m in no way dissuading people from calling, but if someone calls and says ‘There’s a man standing in the middle of the street talking to himself, yelling. Talking to people that aren’t there.’ That’s concerning to people right? At the end of the day, if there’s no law violation, our options are very limited,” Schlude said.

John Trapp, executive director of Room at the Inn, says there is no solution to the problem except adding more affordable housing, an issue that he says would still take more than a decade to “dig out of the hole we are currently in” when it comes to the housing crisis. 

Trapp added that part of the issue is a lack of action from city leaders, saying the City Council is “willing to do anything except play around the edges.”

According to Trapp, “NIMBYs,” also known as people who hold the belief of “not in my back yard” hold inordinate power and “we do not have a council willing to stand up to them.” 

“We have a housing problem. And until we address that, we’re not going to make any headway addressing the homeless problem,” Trapp told ABC 17 News. “Property owners are the ones who vote. Nobody wants apartments in their neighborhood, and nobody wants cheap houses built to bring down their property values. So they are opposed to any new developments with them.”

Trapp said the city and local organizations are offering more services than ever before, but demand continues to outpace resources.

Trapp believes the Opportunity Campus, which is scheduled to open in June 2026, will help alleviate some of the strain. However, he says, if the problem continues to be ignored, the Opportunity Campus will quickly outpace the increased capacity. 

Trapp said addressing zoning and regulatory barriers is key to building more affordable housing.

“We need to reassess all of our zoning, make it easier to build, and we need to decrease regulations to make building cheaper,” he said. “Regulations drive up the cost of development. If a developer can’t make a profit on an affordable house or apartment, they’re not going to build one. They’re going to build McMansions because there’s profit to be had.”

Trapp also said the biggest reason for the increase in homelessness in the city dates back over a decade. 

“We had a housing bubble in 2008, and when it popped, investors bought up all the houses,” Trapp said. “The price of housing didn’t come down because large investment companies bought the houses instead and raised rents.”

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Moberly man accused of crashing into car, smashing windshield with piece of metal

KMIZ on October 16, 2025

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Moberly man was arrested and charged after he allegedly followed a vehicle containing multiple people, ramming into it with his vehicle and hitting it with a piece of metal.

Alexander McConnell, 22, was charged with first-degree domestic assault, two counts of first-degree assault and a count of first-degree property damage. He is being held at the Randolph County Jail on a $50,000 bond. An arraignment is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday.

The probable cause statement says McConnell started following the victim’s vehicle after seeing them driving on the road. He was previously in a relationship with one of the occupants of the vehicle, the statement says. The driver tried to get away by driving on a gravel road, that they did not realize was a dead end, the statement says.

McConnell then allegedly rammed his SUV into the victim’s vehicle, got out of the SUV and started hitting a window and demanding someone “step out of the vehicle so they could have a conversation,” the statement says. He then allegedly started hitting the windshield with a piece of metal after they refused, the statement says.

Deputies saw the damaged vehicle, along with the suspect weapon after McConnell left the scene. A tow truck driver allegedly told the deputy that the car was totaled, the statement says.

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