COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Police shot and killed one man as they responded to a shootout in downtown Columbia that left five people injured early Sunday morning.Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones said two people were exchanging gunfire outside the Vibez Lounge around 3 a.m. Sunday. One of the suspects fired into a crowd of people as he ran from police before two officers chased him into an alley where they shot and killed him, Jones said.
The second shooting suspect fled the area, and police were still looking for that person, Jones said at a Sunday morning news conference.
Five people were wounded in the shooting. Jones said they were all in stable condition afterward.
“It concerns me deeply that I have to speak about a mass casualty in Columbia, Missouri,” Jones said. “We will follow every lead to determine how this transpired and we will do everything necessary to prevent further incidents like this.”
Mayor Brian Treece said the gun violence is a community issue, and the city will meet with leaders in the area, including University of Missouri officials, to address it.
“It[‘s imperative that all of us, including our residents and business owners and city leaders, work together to address this issue because no one entity can do this alone,” Treece said. “And it has to stop.”
The man police killed was identified only as a 30-year-old man. The Missouri State Highway Patrol will investigate the police shooting.
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