COLUMBIA – A gunman was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon after brandishing a stolen handgun to one of the patrons of the McDonald’s restaurant at 205 Business Loop 70 E. , Columbia police officials said.
Hickman High School and Jefferson Junior High School were locked down as a precautionary measure at approximately 12:15 p.m., after notification from the Columbia Police Department and Public Safety Joint Communications, school officials said.
“A lot of students were at lunch around the area at the time of the incident,” Lt. Diane Benhard said.
The suspect, Darian Carter, 16, was taken into custody at the intersection of Worley and LaSalle, after he fled north from the McDonald’s, Benhard said.
Officers retraced Carter’s path and recovered his backpack with a 9-millimeter handgun, an iPod and a computer. The items are suspected of being stolen in a burglary, Benhard said.
Carter was charged with two counts of felony receiving stolen property and one count of felony possession of a concealable firearm.
Hickman High planned to notify parents of the incident with a note sent home with students at the end of the school day.
– Missourian reporter Allison Gordon contributed to this report