Category: kmiz-local-news

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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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Stephens College student who was critically wounded in a shooting early Saturday in downtown Columbia has died, the college said Sunday.

Aiyanna Williams was shot while downtown with friends, a college spokesperson wrote. Williams was declared brain dead after being rushed to University Hospital.

“While Aiyanna’s body is being maintained on artificial support, this is solely to allow time for organ donation in accordance with her wishes,” the release states. “We honor Aiyanna’s life and the generosity of this final act of giving as we grieve this profound loss.”

Stephens will hosted a gathering of family and friends at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the college’s Firestone Baars Chapel. Some community leaders in attendance included Stephens College President Dr. Shannon Lundeen, MU President Mun Choi, Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, and Columbia Police Depart Chief Jill Schlude.

“She’s not only part of our Stephens College community, but she is born and raised in Columbia and so we had leaders come out not just because this was a college student who was a victim of senseless violence, but it was one of our own. She is a daughter of Columbia,” Dr. Lundeen said.

Media was not allowed inside the service, but Reverend Gray said he, along with Williams’ mother, former teammates, volleyball coach and others all took the podium to share heartfelt memories of Williams.

Williams friends said she lived her life with purpose and compassion.

“She wanted to help people, she wanted to spread the gospel, make sure everyone knew about Jesus and she wanted to pour into people,” said Amari Branch-Autman, a close friend of Williams.

“We grieve deeply with her family, friends, teammates, and classmates,”Lundeen said in the news release. “This tragedy is not only a profound personal loss for our community but also a sobering reminder of the senseless gun violence that plagues our country. We must honor Aiyanna’s legacy by holding one another close and continuing the fight for a safer, more compassionate world.”

Williams was a nursing student who had played volleyball at Stephens. She was a graduate of Battle High School who was attending the college on full scholarship, the release states.

“She was a full-ride scholarship, full cost of attendance. So she was not paying anything, she wasn’t even paying fees and that’s also a testament not only to her grit, but to her confidence and her capability,” Dr. Lundeen said.

The memorial service brought together students, faculty, and loved ones who shared stories and memories celebrating Williams’ life while mourning a loss felt deeply across the community.

“I believe she would have wanted it this way. It was celebratory. We shared so many good moments and so many good memories,” Erica Dickson, Columbia Public School Board Member said.

The attendees said that moving on from this incident they hope for healing.

“It’s hard to say what I ant to see in the immediate moments,” Dickson said. “I would want to see us cherish the moments that we have together and just love on each other again. We don’t know how many of those moments we have,”

Stephens College President said Williams’ family is planning a funeral service for October 11, though details are still being finalized.

Sources also tell ABC 17 News that Williams’closest friends and family held a private honor walk before Sunday’s memorial. Her body will be transported to Kansas City, where she be an organ donor.

The Columbia Police Department said 23-year-old Misael Covarrubias, of Fellsmere, Florida, was involved in an argument near Ninth and Broadway early Saturday when he pulled out a gun and fired multiple times. He was arrested and appeared on the Boone County Jail roster Saturday evening without bond.

The people he was arguing with were not hit. Instead, three bystanders, a man and two women, were caught in the gunfire. Williams was one of them.

Covarrubias was arrested on charges of three counts of first-degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.

The shooting happened on the University of Missouri’s homecoming weekend. UM System President Mun Choi wrote a letter to Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe on Saturday, urging action to curb crime. Buffaloe highlighted the city’s current efforts and plans to increase safety in the future.

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Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri President Mun Choi, in an email obtained by ABC 17 News, called on Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe to address violent crime, warning that if action isn’t taken, he will elevate the issue to Gov. Mike Kehoe.

Buffaloe, in response, listed actions the city government and Columbia Police Department have taken and plan to take.

Choi’s email — sent Saturday afternoon, just hours after a downtown shooting that left a bystander dead — was addressed to public officials, including Buffaloe, Columbia’s City Manager De’Carlon Seewood and Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Roger Johnson.

Choi claimed that crime in downtown Columbia has reached a crisis point and poses a risk for MU students, who are frequently downtown. Choi also identified one of the people injured in the Saturday morning shooting as a Stephens College student. Stephens College didn’t immediately respond to inquiries Sunday morning.

“Many community members and business leaders have shared these concerns with you. There’s been too much complacency and it’s time for you to act,” Choi wrote in the email.

Columbia police responded to the shooting just before 2 a.m. Saturday in the 900 block of East Broadway.

CPD said 23-year-old Misael Covarrubias of Fellsmere, Florida, was involved in an argument near Ninth and Broadway when he pulled out a gun and fired multiple times. He was arrested and appeared on the Boone County Jail roster Saturday evening without bond.

He is charged with three counts of assault, three counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon, CPD said in a press release Sunday afternoon.

The release said Covarrubias’ charges won’t change unless any of the victims’ life statuses changes.

The people he was arguing with were not hit. Instead, three bystanders, a man and two women, were caught in the gunfire. One of them, Aiyanna Williams, was later pronounced brain dead.

CPD said Williams remains on artificial life support as of Sunday afternoon.

Choi’s email praised the Columbia Police Department; however, Choi also asked for an “honest examination” of current policies. The email adds that University of Missouri Police Chief Brian Weimer will offer all available staff to patrol downtown.

Choi listed immediate actions that should be taken during “this period of emergency:”    •    More policing in downtown – give CPD the necessary resources and support.    •    Hiring of more security officers.    •    Elimination of policies and practices that attract criminals to the region.    •    Passing of a loitering ordinance.    •    Cleanup of encampments.    •    Prosecution to the full extent of the law for crimes.

The email was also sent to several other Columbia and Boone County officials, including Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude and Boone County Commissioner Kip Kendrick. Choi emphasized that addressing the issue would take a collective effort from city and county agencies, the university and local businesses, asking for the creation of a task force to improve public safety.

“We cannot wait to have another tragic outcome due to complacency, delays and indecision,” Choi said.

The email includes an ultimatum, stating that if no action is taken by 5 p.m. Sunday, Choi will turn to Kehoe’s office for support.

Buffaloe responded to Choi on Saturday, thanking him for the message and saying downtown safety is an issue she takes seriously. ABC 17 News obtained her response Sunday.

Buffaloe also praised the city’s efforts in public safety, adding that there have not been any shooting incidents downtown since June 8. She wrote that CPD added eight officers to night patrols, a 20% increase in staffing since last summer.

The response also mentioned the city’s plans to focus on daytime issues, including the public’s interactions with homeless people.

Buffaloe announced on Facebook the creation of a task force Saturday, requesting that Schlude be contacted for coordinating resources.

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

There were four main things the task force found that would lower crime rates in the city.

Make people aware of resources

Create safe spaces for youth

Create trust between law enforcement and the community

Hold high risk offenders accountable

She also called on local legislators to address systemic issues that relate to public safety.

“I would like to engage our state legislators in a conversation about gun control, since many of these incidents involve firearms — including individuals illegally in possession of them. This is an area where state-level action could provide crucial support to our local efforts,” Buffaloe said in an email.

“Keeping Columbia safe requires collaboration, transparency, and a shared commitment to action. I look forward to working together with our partners to ensure our community remains a safe and welcoming place for residents, students, and visitors alike,” Buffaloe’s post read.

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Marie Moyer

EDITOR’S NOTE: References to initiative petition reform, which will go before voters, have been removed.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A bill from September’s special session is up for Gov. Mike Kehoe’s signature in a closed-door signing Sunday.

A new congressional map, dubbed the “Missouri First” map, is ready to be signed. The map splits Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Fifth District in Kansas City into three. This will merge it with more rural and republican areas, likely removing Cleaver’s seat and giving the Republican Party a boost in the next election.

Critics argue the new district lines divide communities and limit voters’ ability to choose their own representatives. Several lawsuits have also popped up against the state, arguing against the validity of the special session.

Supporters of the map argue it strengthens Missouri’s republican voice.

“Missouri’s conservative, common-sense values should be truly represented at all levels of government, and the Missouri First Map delivers just that,” Kehoe said in a statement.

After being signed, the new congressional map will go into effect for the 2026 election cycle.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 13-year-old girl from Fulton, and a Martinsburg woman were seriously injured in a motorcycle crash in Callaway County Saturday afternoon.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the crash happened around 1 p.m. on Route O at County Road 491. The report says the 26-year-old lost control of a 2016 Harley Davidson Switchback, causing the bike to go off the side of the road.

The motorcycle went partially down a hill and flipped over onto its side, the report says.

Both the woman and girl were taken to University Hospital with serious injuries.

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Euphenie Andre

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ).

Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe is planning to take steps toward addressing violence downtown.

Buffalo responded on social media to an early morning shooting on Saturday that left three people injured, calling it “one too many.” She announced plans to create a task force of city, county, university, business, and community leaders to address downtown safety in a more coordinated way.

MU student Kaylie Stuart said she appreciates the mayor’s commitment to strengthening city safety.

“I think that’s really important as like a college student who’s down here all the time. it makes me feel safer to know that they’re making it something that’s like directly important and like on the top of the list for them,” Stuart said.

The city has already taken steps to strengthen its police presence downtown. Police ramped up its enforcement of misdemeanor offenses downtown in an effort to reduce violent incidents.

In June, Columbia added eight officers to the night shift, increasing patrol staffing by about 20 percent compared to last summer, according to Buffaloe’s post.

Columbia police responded to the shooting just before 2 a.m. Saturday in the 900 block of East Broadway.

The Columbia Police Department said 23-year old Misael Covarrubias, of Fellsmere, Florida, was involved in an argument near Ninth and Broadway when he pulled out a gun and fired multiple times. He was taken into custody and appeared on the Boone County Jail roster Saturday evening without bond.

The people he was arguing with were not hit. Instead, three bystanders, a man and two women, were caught in the gunfire.

All three victims were taken to the hospital. Police say one of the woman’s injuries are life-threatening.

Melissa Payne spends her weekends in downtown Columbia to collect money to pay her medical bills. What she thought would be an ordinary weekend turned into a day she will never forget.

“I seen several people injured. I found out that a young lady had been shot in her head and another man in his leg. I am on this walker thingy, so I tried to get down the street as quickly as I could. I was scared. I got to the quickest alley I could get to,” Payne said.

Kailee Whisber, a woman who claims to be friends with the woman who suffered life-threatening injuries said the situation is heartbreaking.

“We left like 20 minutes before and yeah, she’s in critical condition. It’s very unfortunate, and she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Whisber said.

Despite the overnight shooting, downtown bars were still busy Saturday night, with lines wrapped around the block for MU’s homecoming.

Stuart said she still feels some level of safety, crediting the police response.

“I think it’s really scary, but I think that seeing the response from the police force just coming as quickly as possible and trying to address it makes me feel a little better. But I just think keeping vigilinace while you’re going out is really important,” Stuart said.

Other students also expressed confidence in law enforcement.

“I still feel safe. I think that our police department here is awesome, and they do a great job at keeping it, keeping it calm and peaceful afterwards. So yeah, it’s really unfortunate, but I think I think everything will get go down a better road,” Tatum, Scharfen said.

Payne said that safety downtown has to be a priority.

“This is ridiculous. Our kids and our homeless people. I mean, we deserve to be safe down here instead of random drive by shootings. Bullets have no eyes,” 

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The University of Missouri Homecoming Parade kicked off Saturday morning, with the Mizzou Students for Justice in Palestine in tow.

The student group was barred from participating in the parade last year. MSJP was denied again this year but a federal judge ordered the university to allow the group to participate this year as long as it followed new parade policies.

“It’s a bit of trepidation,” MSJP President Lily Dunn said about getting to march. “A sense of pride and victory because all of this came not from just hoping the university accepts us, but from pure and hard work.”

MSJP decorated a truck with Palestinian flags and members of the organization were standing in the truck bed ready to hand out candy.

Before the parade started, there was a sign on the front of the truck that said “MU Alum Mohammed Aljamal says hello from Gaza.”

Aljamal’s LinkedIn shows he went to MU in 2015 for a year to study water and waste water treatment and civil engineering. He received a scholarship from USAID.

According to his LinkedIn, Aljamal currently works in Gaza.

Dunn claims Todd McCubbin, the executive director of the Mizzou Alumni Association, asked the group to take the sign down.

“For a member of the Alumni Association to tell us that we’re not allowed to display alumni on our truck, our decorated truck as a decoration, is insane to me,” Dunn said.

ABC 17 News reached out to McCubbin but has yet to receive a response.

MSJP didn’t walk with the sign, but two people held up the same sign and another new sign while in the crowd as MSJP marched by in the parade.

University Spokesperson Christopher Ave said no formal action would be taken on the day of the parade to reprimand any group that stepped outside of the parade policy.

“All entrants must comply with the event guidelines,” Ave wrote in an email. “Any entrants that violates them may face consequences.”

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Haley Swaino

EDITOR’S NOTE: Part of a quote has been removed because of its graphic nature.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Florida man is accused of shooting three people early Saturday morning in downtown Columbia.

According to a Saturday afternoon press release from Columbia Police, Misael Covarrubias, 23, of Fellsmere, Florida was arrested on charges of three counts of first-degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. Covarrubias is accused of shooting a man and two women.

One of the women suffered life-threatening injuries in the shooting, the release says.

Stephens College confirmed in a Sunday news release that its student Aiyanna Williams was the woman that suffered the life-threatening injuries. The college said Williams was declared brain dead after being rushed to University Hospital.

Police say Covarrubias was involved in an argument near Ninth Street and fired a gun off multiple times toward the people he was arguing with. The three people who were shot were in the 1000 block of East Broadway and were not involved in the argument, according to the release.

CPD spokesman Brian Mcneil told an ABC 17 News reporter on scene that all three people were taken to a hospital by ambulance.

At 1:51 a.m. an MU alert was sent out letting people know of the investigation and to stay away from the area.

After a man was arrested, CPD said there was no threat to the public.

Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe posted on social media Saturday afternoon in response to the shooting, saying she plans to create a task force of city, county, university, and business leaders to address downtown safety.

An ABC 17 News reporter saw police tape up on East Broadway from the intersection of North Tenth Street to North Eighth Street.

At least eight Columbia police vehicles, two Boone County sheriff vehicles, and one MU ambulance were seen near the corner of East Broadway and North Tenth Street around 2 a.m. A Columbia police investigation van arrived on scene around 2:20 a.m.

ABC 17 News spoke to a witness at the scene shortly after arriving who said they were at a hotdog stand when they heard gunshots.

“You heard a tire screech and then some shots rang out,” Christian Barger said. “Me and the guys inside the stand ducked behind it and we’re hiding and bullets were whizzing by my face.”

Barger said he believed it was a drive-by shooting.

“We think we’re all good then a girl from the other side of the stand started screaming saying something about her friend,” Barger said.

Crime scene tape came down at around 7 a.m.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A plea hearing has been scheduled for next week for a man accused of manslaughter in a fatal crash in August 2024.

Walter Montejo, 27, is charged with two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter, one count of second-degree assault, misdemeanor driving while revoked and driving without insurance. He is being held at the Boone County Jail. Jail records show he is also being held on an immigration detainer.

Montejo is accused of killing Cindy Helms, 54, of Rockwood, Tennessee, and Melvina Colin, 84, of Broomfield, Colorado, during an Aug. 5, 2024, crash on Interstate 70 in Boone County.

A court filing on Friday shows a plea hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Boone County Courthouse. A pretrial conference had been scheduled for Friday and a jury trial was expected to last about three days, according to previous reporting.  

Friday’s filing says the “case has been resolved.”

Court documents in previous reporting say Montejo was driving a tractor-trailer when it crossed over the median and hit a U-Haul head-on, killing Helms and Colin.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

When the Rev. Andrew McCausland was appointed to Columbia’s Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church in January 2024, he knew change was ahead.

His last appointment was in Union, Missouri, a rural town of just more than 12,000 people, with his new assignment bringing him to a city of more than 126,000.

“It has been an incredible blessing. This is an amazing community, Columbia,” McCausland said. “My last appointment, we had a Dirt Cheap liquor and a Dollar General. That was it.”

McCausland was told the ministry focused on serving the unhoused and that a day ministry, called Turning Point, operated out of the church. He said the move forced him to adapt his expectations of the congregation to be fluid in their expectations of him; but the goal remained the same. 

“Our most important roles [as pastors] is facilitating the congregation’s ability to have a relationship with God. And that’s going to be different in different contexts,” McCausland said. 

While his new role came with a different set of challenges, he said he felt prepared.

“This wasn’t a part of the decision to place me here, but I’ve had some experience as a child with homelessness and I’ve got a lot of friends on the edges, the margins in various other ways so I’m very comfortable with the vulnerable.” 

The church McCausland was joining also carried historical weight. Built in 1911 and opened in 1918, Wilkes Boulevard Methodist Church has long been a fixture in Columbia. Located at the corner of Wilkes Boulevard across from Hickman High School, the church has ingrained itself in the community. 

“I love these old buildings and the fact that they can still be vibrant parts of the community. One of my favorite parts leading up to our service is ringing the bell and hearing that,” McCausland said. “That’s to me just a part of community and the church being part of the community and trying to welcome the community.” 

In recent years, the church’s mission shifted toward providing support and worship opportunities for the city’s homeless community. 

“We see the most broken people in their worst situations but we get to be apart of their life, administering them and helping them to feel like human beings, which they like we all deserve to feel as special creations of God and that can get hard when you’ve fallen through the cracks and you’re unhoused,” McCausland said. “To have them as a part of a neighborhood can be a challenge and it’s been a challenge here. But it is incredibly important for us to reach out that hand.” 

McCausland stressed the broader importance of helping those on the margins.

“In the world we’re living in today, most of us, I’m not going to say the majority, but a good portion of us are one disaster away from being on the streets,” McCausland said. “I talk to people every day that became homeless at 60-, 70-years-old, that had good, vibrant lives, and then things just snowballed.” 

Wilkes Boulevard Methodist Church started Turning Point in 2014. Since then, it has turned into an independent, nonprofit organization. It also helped pay the church’s rent. 

In 2013, the church was having conversations about closing its doors due to financial difficulties. But founding Turning Point gave the congregation new life. 

“Turning Point gave them 12 more years to love people, serve people, serve the community,” McCausland said. “We do not have the steady membership that we used to have.  There has been a wonderful, wonderful group of 15-to-20 people that has done God’s work for a decade, and it gets to a point where its time to pass that onto someone else.” 

The church has been open about having financial difficulties, and hosted a public meeting in May to discuss the future of the church. But when Turning Point, the church’s primary source of funding, announced it would be moving to Columbia’s Opportunity Campus, which is expected to open next year, the writing was on the wall. 

Earlier this month, Wilkes Boulevard United Methodist Church announced it would be closing “after more than a century of ministry in Columbia.” McCausland described the congregation’s reaction to the news as bittersweet.

“We don’t want to get caught up in a pile of bricks. It isn’t the bricks that did the work. It’s all the people that were here,” McClausland said. “It is a good and natural thing that Turning Point is moving to the new facility because that’s going to offer a lot more coordinated resources for the unhoused and the disadvantaged.” 

The church and Turning Point will continue operations until the day the center moves. With the church set to officially close in June 2026, McClausland is hoping to end on a high note. 

“We believe that an end can be full of grace and joy just as much as a beginning. And that’s what we’re trying to hope for, is that as we come to a close, as the church itself comes to a close,  we’re going to close with grace and joy and celebration,” McCasuland said. 

McCausland said the church has received interest from several local churches and a school in relocating to the property. As Wilkes Boulevard Church closes, the congregation will turn the building over to the Methodist conference trustees, who will determine its future use. 

After a community town hall in May, it became clear that locals hope the site remains a church or community center. McCausland expressed optimism that the property will continue as a place of worship, though not as a United Methodist church.

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