Aiyanna Williams, 21, a Stephens College senior studying nursing and a volleyball player, was killed in a downtown Columbia shooting in the early morning hours of Saturday, September 27, 2025. Emergency responders arrived about 1:40 a.m. and took Williams and two other bystanders to University Hospital; Williams later died of her injuries and remained on life support so she could be an organ donor.

Police say a dispute between individuals who were not known to Williams escalated, and a man opened fire into a crowd, striking Williams and the two others. Authorities arrested 23-year-old Misael Covarrubias shortly after the shooting; he was booked in the Boone County Jail on charges that include second-degree murder, first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon and pleaded not guilty at a subsequent court appearance. The community held a vigil at Stephens College and funerals were held the following month.

Anyone who was in downtown Columbia that night or who has information about the shooting is asked to come forward.