Author: KMIZ

Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The FBI has released photographs of a person of interest in the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus.

Kirk was fatally shot in the neck on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem during a public speaking engagement on Wednesday. The two pictures show a person in a black shirt and jeans wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses.

Kirk’s shooter remained at large on Thursday. But FBI officials said they believe they recovered the gun used in the killing — a bolt-action rifle.

Officials have also collected a footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints.

The event on Wednesday was a stop on Kirk’s speaking tour for Turning Point USA — a political organization targeting the college-age population that Kirk founded.

The FBI released additional photos of the man they say is a person of interest on Thursday night.

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Alison Patton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Senate committee passed both special session bills, redistricting and initiative petition reform, with a vote of 6-2.

The two Democratic members on the committee offered amendments to the proposed bills. One amendment would have kept U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s (D-MO) district contained to Kansas City.

Cleaver testified in opposition to the redistricting map that would vastly change his district on Thursday before a Missouri Senate committee. Some Democrats believe the proposed fifth district would leave Cleaver without a seat.

The “Missouri First” map submitted by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe would carve up Cleaver’s district into three districts and stretch into Mid-Missouri.

Cleaver testified that he noticed right away that the map cuts through the city along Troost Avenue, a street historically associated with racial segregation.

“This is tearing those communities apart again,” Cleaver said. “I don’t have the words to tell you how damaging that is.”

Cleaver said he’s been working to erase the racial barrier the street represents. 

“How could we possibly be pushed back into the 1950s?” Cleaver said. 

Sen. Sandy Crawford (R-Dallas County) asked Cleaver if he saw any benefits to the proposed map.  Cleaver said the state shouldn’t even be redistricting outside of a census year. Cleaver also said his constituents oppose what state lawmakers are doing. 

The Missouri Local Government, Elections and Pensions committee will also review House Joint Resolution 3 and hear testimony from citizens.

HJR3 would reform the initiative petition process. Republicans want to make it harder to change the Missouri Constitution by requiring a citizen-initiated ballot measure to be approved by a majority of people in each of the eight congressional districts. Currently, ballot measures pass with a simple majority.

The Senate met Wednesday and passed new rules for the special session. The new rules change the order in which business is conducted. When the Senate meets again Friday morning, for what some Republicans believe to be the final vote on the bills, senators will start with House of Representatives communications and review the House bills.

Under the old rules, Senators would go through resolutions before reviewing their own rules.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Ceremonies took place through in Mid-Missouri on Thursday to honor the lives that were lost 24 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001.

The Mid-Missouri Patriot Day Ceremony was held at the Boone County War Memorial Plaza in downtown Columbia. This ceremony was hosted by the United States Exercise Tiger Foundation and assisted by the University of Missouri’s Sigma Nu fraternity.

The ceremony highlighted state fire marshals, area fire chiefs and featured speakers from the Navy and Army. State Rep. Kathy Steinhoff (D-Columbia) delivered an official state resolution marking the day,.

More than 250 flags were placed on the Boone County Courthouse lawn to honor the lives that were lost at the Pentagon. Two five-foot wreaths and two three-foot wreaths honored the New York City firefighters who died and a special wreath honored Sterling Wyatt, a soldier from Columbia who died in Afghanistan in 2012. There was also a special wreath to honor KOMU Sports Director Ben Arnet.

Lincoln University in Jefferson City held a Day of Remembrance honoring first responders and service members. Flags were arranged in the shape of the numbers nine and 11, and the Jefferson City Fire Department displayed the U.S. flag.

There was also an event at the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus that featured remarks from Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe and MU President Mun Choi.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Damotech announced in a Wednesday press release that it will add 50 jobs through an expansion to its Moberly location.

The warehouse rack safety solutions provider announced that it is investing more than $2.4 million in the expansion.

“We are proud to see Damotech deepen its commitment to Moberly by investing in new job creation,” Gov. Mike Kehoe said in the release. “Damotech is a strong example of an innovative employer that has chosen Missouri as the ideal place to grow.”

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Fire risks are on the rise as Missouri is set to enter another dry month, with drought conditions expected.

Dryness started back in July and continued through August, the former being recorded as the second-driest month in history for the City of Columbia.

Both the Columbia Fire Department and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which tracks the state’s climate patterns, report the current drought is typical for the season.

“Especially with the fall weather, there’s a lot of dry vegetation out there and if you couple that with strong winds or just the low humidity in the air, that’s something we always keep in account,” Columbia Fire Department spokeswoman Katherine Rodriguez said.

Drought tracking from Sept. 2 shows the majority of Missouri is abnormally dry or in a moderate drought. Both categories increase the risk of fires, with burn bans typically being put in place in moderate drought locations.

“We know that it can go from moderate drought to extreme drought within a week or two weeks,” Cooper County Fire Protection District spokesman William Johnson said.

In October 2022, Cooper County Fire helped respond to a massive wildfire that burned more than 3,700 acres, 23 structures and displaced more than 100 people. Severe drought conditions and high winds caused the fire to rapidly spread.

“You can have a small fire somewhere around two or three feet in diameter, about the size of a trash can,  and then that quickly spread within 10 or 15 minutes to a quarter of an acre or a full acre,” Johnson said.

Johnson adds that any small ember or spark can cause a fire in dry and windy conditions. This includes items like cigarette butts, barbecue embers or the spark from a vehicle’s chains on the road.

“We could have farm equipment or a vehicle that will pass by and do that, a lot of times, even using the combine or farming equipment, if it hits a wire or if it hits a rock or something like that can cause a spark,” Johnson said.

Rodriguez added that outside fires can break out anywhere, even inside city limits.

“Sometimes equipment that you use to mow your lawns, that can start to spark too and then there you have a fire on your hands if you’re not careful,” Rodriguez said.

Both Johnson and Rodriguez remind residents to check heavy machinery for any damage before use and to have water or a fire extinguisher on hand when working during dry periods. Hot coals should be disposed of in metal containers and smokers should be cautious when throwing out materials.

Residents should also be aware of burn orders and should contact their local departments before burning brush or trash during dry periods.

“It’s important for residents to maintain situational awareness and everything that they do, especially when it comes to fire safety,” Rodriguez said. “Something so small can impact not only you but your neighbors.”

Johnson added residents in rural areas should also have an evacuation plan in place in case of a brush fire.

“Once they pick up, they start moving very, very rapidly,” Johnson said.

Elizabeth Kerby, a DNR environmental engineer, suggests residents experiencing drought check out the department’s website for resources on fire safety and relief opportunities. Residents can also submit weekly photos and observations of their yards to help the department track drought patterns in the state.

“Currently, we’re preparing some material information for the administration to consider for future directions,” Kerby said. “But yes, this drought is something that we are actively monitoring.”

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Turning Point USA’s chapter at the University of Missouri held a vigil for conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on Wednesday evening.

“It was a lot to see someone that had influenced me in becoming more open about my politics lose their life like that,” said Brenden Poteet, President of the Mizzou College Republicans.

Kirk, the national group’s founder, was shot and killed at a Wednesday event held at a Utah college.

MU chapter President Paige Schulte said at the event that they were in the final stages of getting Kirk to speak at the Columbia campus on Sept. 29.

ABC 17 News counted roughly 60 people in attendance at the vigil.

Daniel Seitz, Chief of staff for Missouri State Sen. Brad Hudson, spoke to ABC 17 News about fear of political violence among lawmakers.

“Charlie died in the midst of public discourse. He died doing something that the people who hated him demanded politicians do more of, which is speaking to them in public,” Seitz said.

Seitz said he worked with kirk when he was first starting up the conservative group Turning Point USA.

“Barack Obama at the time had really courted a lot of young people to come to the Democratic Party. So he was turning that on its on its face and saying, ‘Young people are not lost to the Republican Party. We can have a new generation of the the Reagan youth of the 80s,'” Seitz said.

He said political violence has become increasingly normalized during the past decade due to social media.

“It’s very easy to let that evil fester behind the screen and then because of what they hear and because of that echo chamber, what they see, they take that and it turns into violent action,” Seitz said.

U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) announced a pause to public events following the news of Kirk’s shooting.

“Due to this rise in political violence, our office will be pausing all public events, including town halls, until further notice. I will not risk the safety of my family, my staff, or my own personal safety because some choose violence over dialogue,” Alford wrote in in a text message to ABC 17 News while giving condolences on Kirk’s passing.

Seitz said Hudson will not be increasing his security detail as of right now, but safety is on the top of their mind in light of Kirk’s death.

“What we cannot do is give in to fear, we cannot give in to violence, we cannot give in to the people who would like to silence that discourse,” Seitz said.

President Donald Trump also ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Kirk through Sunday night.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia’s new “Ride Home” program will start accepting referrals the week of Oct. 6.

City of Columbia spokeswoman Sydney Olsen told ABC 17 News in an email that staff at Room at the Inn, Turning Point and the city’s divert program will be able to make referrals.

The city has discussed a possible homeless transportation program since March. The City Council on Aug. 4 agreed to amend its existing contract with First Last Mile to drive those experiencing homelessness a ride back to where they came from.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday for a gun charge, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.

Semaj Clark, 25, was charged with being a felon with a gun. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond.

The release claims Clark was found with a handgun on Aug. 10 in Boone County. Clark previously pleaded guilty to a felony last year in Boone County and is not allowed to own a gun.

Clark pleaded guilty on Aug. 5, 2024, to third-degree domestic assault and was sentenced to five years of supervised probation, along with a four-year suspended sentence. He also pleaded guilty to driving without a license that same day. He also pleaded guilty to driving without a license on July 24, 2023.

Probation violations for all three cases were filed on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A porch that caught fire Tuesday night in the 7400 block of Oakley Drive in southwest Columbia was caused by “improperly discarded smoking materials,” according to a Wednesday press release from the Columbia Fire Department.

“While the Columbia Fire Department reminds residents to utilize extreme caution when approaching hazards such as this, we recognize these efforts led to the minimization of damage and prevented injuries to the resident,” Columbia Fire Deputy Chief John Ambra said in the release.

A resident was found sleeping inside the home by firefighters, the release says. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters arrived to the scene and saw neighbors controlling the fire with a garden hose, the release says.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) will be pausing all public events, including town halls, after Wednesday’s shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kirk, a controversial figure and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed during an event Wednesday at a Utah college.

Alford – who represents Missouri’s fourth district in the US House, which includes Howard, Pettis and Morgan counties, as well as the northern portion of Boone County – told ABC 17 News in a text message that he will not hold public events in the immediate future.

“Due to this rise in political violence, our office will be pausing all public events, including town halls, until further notice. I will not risk the safety of my family, my staff, or my own personal safety because some choose violence over dialogue,” Alford wrote in the message while giving condolences on Kirk’s passing.

Alford has held a number of public town halls in his district since President Donald Trump was sworn into office and has faced backlash at the events. A crowd in Harrisburg gave sharp criticism to him during an Aug. 27 event.  

Alford previously claimed an event in February — that was held in Benton — was “hijacked” after he was faced with jeers and boos.  

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