Category: kmiz-local-news

Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia city leaders are evaluating its next steps to reduce crime in the city after a Stephens College student was killed in a shooting over the weekend that left two others injured.

University of Missouri System President Mun Choi has called on the city to make a “task force” to deter crime.

However, Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe on Saturday announced on Facebook the creation of a task force.

“I don’t know all the details yet, the idea of the task force was something that President Choi suggested that we do for organizing,” Buffaloe said. “The focus for me has been on the senseless gun violence that ended up with a young, bright women’s death on Friday night,”

“Trying to figure out what this is when they are talking about a task force for me I really would just want to focus on what we need that why I am going to city staff what is it that we need,” Buffaloe added.

Ward 5 Councilman Don Waterman echoed the uncertainty around the task force but voiced support for involving additional law enforcement agencies, including the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

“Because of their proximity to use, yes I think the county needs to have a role,” Waterman said. “One thing I do want to say is that we need to keep in mind there’s not going to be one single solution, it’s going to be a number of things.”

The city already offers the Office of Violence Prevention, that began this year but Waterman claims it more focuses on youth and the next generation.

Buffaloe and Waterman emphasized that despite the tragedy, crime trends overall have improved in recent months.

“That’s why we haven’t had an incident since June 8 downtown because of their proactive policing, and so I just look to them to what resources do they need to do their job,” Buffaloe said.

“Again you see the numbers have gone down, I think the fully staffed police department more police on the streets, presence is working,” Waterman said. “Also the Flock system that we’ve purchases for the police approved for the police, I think those tools that they’re using to begin to address the issues of crime in the city,”

Ward 3 Councilwoman Jacque Sample says everyone needs to come together and come open minded to discussions.

“We have a lot of work to do we need to gather the people who are the experts on how to address these things and create plans that we can implement that are sustainable,” Sample said. “They leave their own personal ideas of what they think is going to be the best success outside of the room, so we can come together and decide what’s going to work for everyone and the tools that we have to be able to use to be effective.”

Buffaloe later wrote in a Facebook on Monday night that the number of shots-fired incidents in the city have been cut nearly in half during the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year.  

“As a result of their proactive policing efforts, city-wide there have been 58 confirmed incidents of shots fired in the first 9 months of 2025, compared to 105 during the same nine month period in 2024,” Buffaloe wrote. “But every incident of shots fired is one incident too many and we know that police presence is only one aspect of preventing and interrupting violence, which is highlighted by the fact that the events this weekend took place with officers directly in the area.”

The mayor also claimed in the post that a key factor in violent crime reduction would be preventing youth from obtaining guns and keeping people who are not allowed to own guns from getting them. Buffaloe, along with other mayors of larger cities in the state, had signed a letter last year asking Gov. Mike Kehoe to ban youth from having guns.

Misael Covarrubias is accused of shooting and killing Stephens College student Aiyanna Williams. He is 23 years old and is charged with three counts of first-degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action and a single count of unlawful use of a weapon. Early court screenings do not show prior convictions for Covarrubias.

Missouri State Highway Patrol data shows that through the first nine months of the year, violent crime has trended downward since 2021 in CPD’s jurisdiction. There have been 307 violent crimes reported so far this year, while 357 were reported through September in 2024, 425 were reported for the same period in 2023, 465 were tallied during 2022’s period and 492 were reported in 2021’s first-nine-month total. Though it should be noted that overall crime appears to be up compared to last year, according to data from CPD.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man was charged in Audrain County after he allegedly dragged a woman from her home, pulled her into a vehicle and assaulted her on Sunday morning.

Lane Miles, 21, of Auxvasse, was charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree domestic assault and misdemeanor second-degree property damage. He is being held at the Audrain County Jail without bond. A mugshot was not immediately available. A confined docket hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The probable cause statement says a witness saw Miles pull the victim out of a home in Mexico, Missouri, around 2 a.m. Sunday. Miles allegedly dragged the victim by her hair down the stairs of the home and pulled her into a car before leaving, the statement says.

The victim later knocked on the door of the home and was let back in before Miles kicked the door in and forced the woman, again, into the vehicle, the statement says.

The victim allegedly told law enforcement that Miles was not invited into the home, but arrived anyways and pulled her out by her ankles, the statement says. The victim was afraid of what Miles would do if she did not get in the vehicle, the statement says. Miles allegedly choked the victim while he drove the vehicle, but the victim was able to hit the “start/stop” button of the vehicle to turn it off, the statement says. She then began honking the horn of the vehicle and eventually got away the first time, the statement says. Miles then returned to the home and kicked the door in, according to court documents.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Court documents say Columbia police had to use a Taser on a man who is accused of a number of crimes.

Deon Brown, 53, of Columbia, was charged on Monday with three counts of third-degree domestic assault, one count of misdemeanor third-degree kidnaping, misdemeanor resisting arrest, one count of second-degree domestic assault, felony resisting arrest and third-degree child molestation.

He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance was held on Monday.

Court documents say police were called to a residence on Saturday and a standoff ensued after Brown would not come out of the home. Police called off the standoff and left, though it is not clear in court documents why that decision was made. Brown allegedly trapped one of the victims in a bathroom after assaulting them and threatened to kill them, the probable cause statement says.

In a second probable cause statement, police wrote that they went back to the residence as Brown was in a fight with one of the victims on the lawn of the home. There were three victims described in court documents, one being a child that he allegedly molested during the assaults. That victim also described sexual comments Brown allegedly made toward them in the past, the statement says.

Brown allegedly started walking back to the home when officers arrived, and officers told him they would use a stun gun if he did not comply, the statement says. An officer then deployed a Taser on Brown, court documents say.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri System President Mun Choi said Monday that crimes ranging from homeless trespassers on campus to gun violence in downtown Columbia have created a dangerous environment for citizens and students.

“What I’m hearing from individuals, whether that’s the business leaders or citizens, is that Columbia was not this way in the past,” Choi said. “There are people that say, ‘I’m not going to downtown, it’s just too dangerous,’ and that’s not the way it should be.”

Choi made the remarks at a news conference Monday morning after a Stephens College student died over the weekend from a shooting that also left two others hurt.

This is the third shooting incident during a MU Homecoming weekend in the last five years. In 2021, two people were shot, and in 2022, three people were shot, including an MU student.

“The leaders have to lead and acknowledge that there is an issue and find credible solutions. The Columbia Police Department is doing all they can. I have a lot of confidence in them and they must be supported,” Choi said.

Choi called on the City government to change its policies and practices that let people think they can commit crimes without consequences.

“There has to be severe repercussions so that criminals know that this region, the state of Missouri, takes its laws very seriously and that they will be held to account to the full extent of the law,” Choi said.

Choi said his call to action did not come from this weekend’s shooting, but a pattern of crimes that has continued to plague downtown Columbia.

“When parents send their students to a university, they want to know that they’re going to a university environment that is safe. We keep our campus very safe. We need to make sure that the downtown region and the rest of Columbia is safe as well,” Choi said.

Choi said University of Missouri Police Chief Brian Weimer would offer all available staff to patrol downtown on game days. Mayor Barbara Buffaloe wrote in an email to Choi over the weekend that CPD added eight officers to night patrols, a 20% increase in staffing since last summer.

“We’re going to maintain the safety on our campus and may require more overtime for our police officers who do an excellent job supporting the officers of CPD,” Choi said.

MUPD has responded to nine violent crimes on campus so far this year, and four victims were between the ages of 18 and 24, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol data. In 2024, MUPD responded to six violent crimes total. The data also shows that MUPD has arrested 10 people between the ages of 18 and 24 for violent crimes this year.

Choi said no new MUPD officers will be hired right now; instead, current officers will be reallocated until the department can hire and train new officers. Choi said he wants to keep the options for solutions open as preliminary discussions continue, but the need for a temporary solution is approaching as the Tigers’ next game on Oct. 11 nears.

“Whether it is changing the traffic pattern in the downtown during weekends, that is a possibility that we’re going to be exploring,” Choi said. “We’ll have a big game on Oct. 11, and we want to be able to prepare for that.”

Choi is working with Buffaloe to create a task force on crime that includes local and community leaders. He said that he and Weimer would be part of the task force. Choi said he had asked to meet with Buffaloe on Monday afternoon, but it’s not clear whether they did.

The last crime task force in the city was created over 10 years ago, in 2013. The task force researched for over a year before presenting its findings in 2014.

Those findings included four recommendations:

Make people aware of resources

Create safe spaces for youth

Create trust between law enforcement and the community

Hold high-risk offenders accountable

Choi said he has also shared his concerns with Gov. Mike Kehoe. Choi said Kehoe has promised him a meeting of local, university and business leaders to develop solutions.

In a statement to ABC 17 News, Kehoe’s office called public safety and cracking down on crime in Missouri communities his top priority.

“Governor Kehoe will continue to consider options to assist Columbia and communities across the state to address crime. A truly tragic and unnecessary act of violence took the life of a young woman with a bright future ahead of her,” the statement read.

Dr. Sandra Hamar, Senior Vice President and Provost for Columbia College, also shared her support for the Stephens College Community and Choi’s collaborative efforts in a statement.

“Students come to Columbia to learn, grow and build a future. They deserve to feel safe both on campus and throughout our City. We must come together as educators, students, parents, neighbors and leaders to create a safer environment for everyone,” the statement read. “We stand ready to support Stephens College President Dr. Shannon Lundeen as the Stephens community navigates this difficult time. We also support the efforts of University of Missouri President Dr. Mun Choi, who, along with many community leaders, is seeking meaningful change to ensure the safety of our City.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The state of Missouri has submitted a waiver to cut “unhealthy” foods from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Gov. Mike Kehoe’s Office announced Monday in a press release.

Kehoe signed an executive order on Monday to tell the state’s Department of Social Services to submit the waiver, joining a growing number of states including Iowa, Colorado, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

States have submitted waivers in an effort to cut soda, candy, chips and other foods typically viewed as not-healthy.

“Healthy and nutritionally secure Missouri families are critical to supporting a path to self-sufficiency and, ultimately, a thriving state,” Kehoe said in the release. “Under the Trump administration, states are taking action to ensure that taxpayer dollars are better used to promote healthy, nutritious food purchases. With approximately $1.5 billion in annual SNAP benefits issued in Missouri, we must refocus our SNAP program to maximize nutritional health for families while also supporting the abundant agricultural output of our state.”

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Police say in court documents that the 23-year-old Florida man who opened fire early Saturday in downtown Columbia, killing a woman, shot 11 times into a crowd as he walked from the scene.

Court documents show that 23-year-old Misael Covarrubias has been charged with three counts of assault, three counts of armed criminal action and a count of unlawful use of a weapon. Covarrubias is suspected in the deadly shooting of Stephens College student Aiyanna Williams that injured two others.

According to court documents, Columbia police arrived at the 800 block of East Broadway at around 1:42 a.m. Saturday and found three victims with gunshot wounds. One person was in critical condition. Officers also found 11 spent 9mm bullet casings between Eighth Street and Ninth Street.

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Covarrubias was spotted by officers running away and putting a pistol in his waistband, the probable cause statement says. When questioned, Covarrubias reportedly told officers that people ganged up on him, causing him to fire warning shots. Covarrubias initially said the warning shots were fired at the ground, but later admitted to firing with his arm straight out, the statement says.

When asked who he was shooting at, Covarrubias allegedly said he didn’t know; he also admitted to having three drinks before the shooting.

A fourth victim who was not injured later spoke to police and alleged that prior to the shooting, Covarrubias grabbed a woman the victim was with by the waist. The victim later told Covarrubias to get off of her with Covarrubias allegedly pushing him, walking away and then shooting in his direction.

The shooting prompted University of Missouri System President Mun Choi to call for action to reduce crime in Columbia and Mayor Barbara Buffaloe to call for a special task force.

Covarrubias also stated he was born in Florida and has been living in Columbia for around five months.

Covarrubias’ next hearing is set for Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A crash Sunday night has led to closed lanes on Interstate 70 east of Columbia.

The Missouri Department of Transportation has closed the eastbound and westbound passing lanes at mile marker 134, according to a news release. Repairs are expected to wrap up by Monday evening, MoDOT says.

The crash Sunday night damaged the barrier wall between the two sides of the interstate, the release says. MoDOT didn’t give any other details about the crash.

Backups are expected, MoDOT says.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 59-year-old woman was seriously hurt in a UTV crash Sunday night in Morgan County.

According to online crash records, the Overland Park, Kansas, woman was driving a 2020 Yamaha Viking UTV when she lost control on Viewside Drive near Memory Lane. In a turn, the UTV travelled off the side of the road, overturned and hit a ditch just after 6:30 p.m.

The woman was taken to University Hospital by helicopter.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri System President Mun Choi held a news conference Monday morning to talk about crime in Columbia after a Stephens College student died over the weekend from a gunshot wound.

Watch the playback in the player.

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Matthew Sanders

President Donald Trump said he will send U.S. soldiers into another American city, this time to protect ICE facilities “under siege” by “domestic terrorists.”

Trump announced his plans Saturday in a social media post that called Portland, Oregon, “war ravaged.” The White House didn’t provide details.

Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles in June and to Washington, DC, last month. He has also threatened to send troops to other cities, including Chicago, Baltimore and Memphis, Tennessee.

Should Trump send troops into Portland? Let us know by voting in the poll.

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