๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐-๐๐
- Austin
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐. ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ . ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
On Aug. 2, 2026, Boone County Joint Communications received multiple calls about shots fired at the I-70 westbound off-ramp at the Highway 63 connector intersection in Columbia. A short time later, dispatchers advised officers that a victim was at the Break Time in the 900 block of Conley Road.
Officers with the Columbia Police Department responded to both locations. According to the probable cause statement, officers at Break Time located a victim with an apparent gunshot wound to the mouth. The victim was transported to University of Missouri Hospital for medical treatment.
At the I-70 westbound off-ramp and Highway 63 connector intersection, officers located an unoccupied black 2026 Toyota Corolla stuck on a median. The probable cause statement says the vehicle was registered to a rental car company. Investigators reported that the Corolla had apparent damage to the front passenger door consistent with a bullet hole. Officers also observed apparent blood on the inside driver's door and what appeared to be a human tooth on the driver's seat.
During a search of the Corolla, investigators located a box on the rear floorboard behind the driver's seat. Inside the box, they found a digital scale with white residue and a plastic baggie containing a white substance. A crime scene investigator reported that the residue and the substance field-tested positive for fentanyl and weighed more than 9 grams.
A crime scene investigator later went to the hospital where the victim was being treated. The investigator collected the victim's clothing and reported locating $1,201 in cash inside a pocket. The victim also reported he was missing a tooth.
Officers spoke with several witnesses who reported seeing parts of the incident. Witness 1 stated she was in her vehicle on the I-70 westbound off-ramp at the Highway 63 connector when she saw a black car with a Florida license plate about three cars ahead of her. Witness 1 reported that a Black male in a โwife beaterโ jumped out of the vehicle and was flailing his arms. She stated the man entered another black vehicle, which she believed was a Toyota Camry or Corolla, that had been behind the black vehicle with Florida plates. Witness 1 further stated the vehicle with the Florida license plate then rolled through the traffic light with no one inside and struck a curb. She later drove south on Highway 63 and reported seeing a Black male she believed was the same person crossing traffic toward Break Time.
Witness 2 told officers she was in a vehicle on the I-70 westbound exit ramp when she heard five to six gunshots coming from behind her. She stated a vehicle rolled forward beside her, with the passenger door open, and scraped the side of her vehicle. Witness 2 reported no one was inside the vehicle when it made contact with her vehicle. Witness 2 stated that after the incident, juveniles in her vehicle told her they saw a Black man in a white shirt with blood on it near Break Time.
Witness 3 stated she was riding in a vehicle driven by her fiancรฉ on the I-70 westbound exit ramp to the Highway 63 connector. She reported seeing two vehicles in front of her and another gray or black vehicle turning right off the ramp while someone fired what appeared to be a black, long rifle at one of the vehicles.
Investigators reviewed Flock cameras and license plate readers. According to the probable cause statement, a black Toyota with a Florida plate traveled through the roundabout at St. Charles Road and Clark Lane toward I-70 west. A second black Toyota with a Missouri plate traveled in front of it, and a gray Hyundai Elantra with black rims traveled behind both vehicles.
On Aug. 3, Columbia police officers were conducting another investigation in the El Chaparral neighborhood when they located the second black Toyota behind a residence. According to the probable cause statement, the Toyota had apparent bullet holes on the passenger side and apparent blood on the outside of the vehicle. It was towed to the Columbia Police Department.
The person who rented the black Toyota told investigators she rented it from Hertz. According to the probable cause statement, she reported that another person left her residence in the Toyota on Aug. 2 and that the vehicle was back at her residence by sunset. She also reported receiving a message that the person had been shot at.
On Aug. 5, officers located a gray Hyundai Elantra in Columbia and contacted the driver, Mechoal Lamar Lewis. According to the probable cause statement, Lewis admitted driving the Elantra on Aug. 2 but claimed he had gone places investigators believed were inconsistent with Flock license plate reads. Lewis was taken into custody and transported to the Columbia Police Department.
Lewis waived his Miranda rights and spoke with investigators. During the interview, Lewis allowed investigators to review the contents of his phone with him. Investigators reported seeing calls on Aug. 2 at 11:05 a.m. and 11:28 a.m. between Lewis and phone numbers associated with redacted individuals.
Investigators also reviewed neighborhood surveillance video from an area near a redacted residence. After investigators confronted Lewis with what was shown on the video, Lewis allegedly stated, โthey shot out the car.โ When asked who did it, Lewis stated he did not know, but said he knew they shot out his car. When asked why, Lewis stated it was because of a shooting at the house. Investigators noted that a duplex had sustained damage from suspected gunshots earlier that morning. Lewis told investigators he was in the driver's seat of the Elantra, another person was in the front passenger seat, and two others were in the back seat.
Lewis reported hearing another occupant of the vehicle say they had a gun. Lewis stated he ducked down and heard the shots. He told investigators he then left. Lewis denied that he or the front passenger fired shots and stated he did not know who in the back seat shot. Before the interview ended, investigators asked Lewis whether it was correct that one person was in the front passenger seat and two others were in the back seat. Lewis acknowledged that was correct and identified one person as being seated on the driver's side in the back.
A separate probable cause statement states investigators also questioned Lewis about firearms after he was taken to the Columbia Police Department. Lewis initially told investigators he used to have a 9mm handgun but had gotten rid of it. According to the statement, Lewis admitted he still had 9mm ammunition at his residence. Later in the interview, Lewis allegedly admitted he currently had a 9mm handgun and a .40-caliber handgun at his residence. Investigators reported Lewis asked something to the effect of whether he would get in trouble for being a felon.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for Lewis' residence. Before the warrant was served, Lewis allegedly told investigators one handgun was in his room, and the other was in the kitchen.
During the search, investigators located two handguns inside the residence. A Ruger .40-caliber handgun was located inside the northeast bedroom, and a Ruger 9mm handgun was located in the kitchen.
Investigators later spoke with Lewis again. According to the probable cause statement, Lewis stated he purchased both handguns at a park.
Lewis is now charged with three counts of armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon by shooting at or from a motor vehicle, assault in the first degree or attempt, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.
๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป:
