In the late afternoon of March 4, 2026, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of a Columbia, Missouri neighborhood, leaving a young man dead. The life of 20-year-old William Riechers was cut short near the intersection of Allen and Bryant streets in what authorities have described as a shootout. Emergency services responded to a shots-fired call around 3:45 p.m. and found Riechers with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
Despite the efforts of officers who rendered immediate medical aid, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led to the identification and arrest of two suspects. The first, 19-year-old Damarius Kavanaugh, was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder and other felonies. Court documents indicate that Kavanaugh and Riechers were walking together when a vehicle approached, and an exchange of gunfire erupted between Kavanaugh and at least one person in the vehicle. Tragically, Riechers was caught in the crossfire. It was later revealed that Kavanaugh had been released from prison on probation just a month prior, in February, after serving time for tampering with a motor vehicle and unlawful use of a weapon.
A second suspect, 24-year-old Landen Jackson, was arrested shortly after Kavanaugh. Jackson is accused of being in the passing vehicle and firing shots during the incident. He is also facing charges of second-degree murder. Both Kavanaugh and Jackson are being held in the Boone County Jail without bond as the investigation continues. Authorities are still seeking information from the public to piece together the full sequence of events that led to the fatal shooting. The Columbia Police Department's criminal investigations division is actively working the case and has urged anyone with information to come forward.
