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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;"> 201 Orr Street
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Columbia, MO 65201</p></div>
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<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">January 5, 2026</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: CONTACT: Skyler Clark
<br />Columbia Fire Department
<br />City of Columbia
<br />573.874.7609
<br />Skyler.Clark@CoMo.gov</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">Fire Chief statement on recent active assailant and shooting responses in Columbia</h1>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <p style="display: inline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over the past two evenings, the Columbia Fire Department has responded alongside the Columbia Police Department and regional partners to two separate shooting incidents in the community.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On Jan. 3, fire, police, EMS and emergency management agencies responded to an active assailant incident on North Stadium Boulevard. On Jan. 4, Columbia Fire Department units again responded with Columbia Police to a shots-fired incident in the 4800 block of Clark Lane, where multiple victims sustained life-threatening injuries, were treated by firefighters and paramedics and transported to the awaiting local trauma center. Despite life-saving efforts, one victim unfortunately passed away at the hospital.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both incidents required rapid coordination between law enforcement, fire, EMS, hospitals and emergency management partners. Fire and EMS resources were deployed to provide immediate medical care, support law enforcement operations and manage patient transport and hospital coordination.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"These incidents underscore the reality that fire and EMS are a critical part of the public safety response to violent crime," Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said. "Our role is to be ready to provide immediate, lifesaving care and to work seamlessly with law enforcement and hospitals when seconds matter."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In both responses, agencies operated under established incident management structures designed to support coordination, responder accountability and patient care. Fire and EMS resources worked closely with ambulance services and hospitals to manage medical surge capacity and ensure patients were transported and treated without delay.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Our firefighters, paramedics and EMS partners train for high-acuity, low-frequency events like these," Schaeffer said. "That preparation includes trauma care under threat, surge capacity planning, coordination with hospitals and the ability to provide management to scale resources quickly when multiple trauma patients are involved."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Columbia Fire Department worked alongside the Columbia Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Boone County Sheriff's Office, Boone Health EMS, MU Health Care EMS and regional partners during the responses. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"These responses reflect a year of collaboration across these agencies and highlight our shared commitment to this community," Schaeffer said. "No single agency handles events like this alone. It takes coordination, trust and disciplined execution across a professional public safety system."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both investigations remain under the direction of the Columbia Police Department. Fire and EMS agencies will continue to support law enforcement when needed and plan to conduct internal reviews of both incidents, focused on training, medical readiness and operational improvement.</span></p></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align:center;"><p>City of Columbia Vision<br>
<em>Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.</em></p>
<p>City of Columbia Mission<br>
<em>To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.</em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">-30-</p>
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