COLUMBIA, Mo. — A 16-year-old Missouri boy who is accused of opening fire after an apparent fireworks altercation has been detained in the death of an 11-year-old and a woman.
Police in Columbia said in a news release Monday that the department is seeking two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon against the unidentified teen in the early Sunday shooting that also left three victims with non-life threatening injuries.
Police identified the slain woman as 38-year-old Tara Knedler, a mother of five, and the girl only by her first name of Ri’ajauhna. Her last name was withheld per the family’s request.
There was no known relation between the victims, said Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones. He described them during a news conference Sunday as innocent bystanders killed by an “incident of senseless gun violence.”
Jones also said he believed the shooting happened after someone unintentionally shot fireworks at a house.
Columbia police spokesman Jeff Pitts said Tuesday that authorities have identified a second suspect but haven't made an arrest or released the person's name publicly.
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