Man arrested Tuesday in connection with gas station shooting

COLUMBIA — A Columbia man was arrested Tuesday evening on suspicion of firing at a fleeing vehicle after a shooting Saturday at the Petro Mart gas station in which another man was shot in the mouth.

Tyrius D. Williams, 24, was arrested at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on suspicion of felony unlawful use of a weapon, said Capt. Brad Nelson of the Columbia Police Department. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Williams was being held in Boone County Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

At 2:08 a.m. Saturday, Columbia police were notified that a 29-year-old man had been shot in the mouth at the Petro Mart gas station at 3300 Falling Leaf Lane. The gas station’s video surveillance helped police identify a man retrieving a gun from the trunk of his car after the victim, allegedly a friend, had been shot, Nelson said.

According to a Police Department news release, the suspect retaliated by firing the gun at the perpetrator’s fleeing vehicle, Nelson said.

As of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, no arrests had been made in the shooting that precipitated the second incident, but Nelson said more arrests were expected. He said three to four other people fired weapons in the incident.

Nelson said that police have recovered different types of shell casings but no gun.

Eight assaults involving the use of a firearm have been reported this year in Columbia, down from 20 at this time last year, according to Columbia police statistics.

Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 875-TIPS, or to submit information to 875Tips.com.