Late afternoon gunfire on March 4, 2026, ended the life of 20-year-old William Riechers near Allen and Bryant streets in Columbia, Missouri. Emergency responders found Riechers with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body; officers rendered aid but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities described the episode as a shootout that began about 3:45 p.m.

Investigators say Riechers had been walking with 19-year-old Damarius Kavanaugh when a vehicle approached and an exchange of gunfire occurred between Kavanaugh and someone in the passing car. Court filings state Riechers was struck in the crossfire. Kavanaugh was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and other felonies; he had been released on probation in February after serving time for tampering with a motor vehicle and unlawful use of a weapon. A second person, 24-year-old Landen Jackson, was arrested soon after and is also charged with second-degree murder. Both are being held in Boone County Jail without bond.

The Columbia Police Department’s criminal investigations division is asking anyone with information to come forward. Did anyone in the neighborhood see the vehicle or the events near Allen and Bryant that afternoon?