Columbia’s mayor describes teen’s murder as heartbreaking; she says she knows the community wants safety

By Brian Hauswirth
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Columbia’s mayor says Sunday evening’s murder of 18-year-old Zarian Simpson is heartbreaking.

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Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe speaks at the October 2022 ribbon-cutting ceremony for Columbia Regional Airport’s (COU) $23-million new terminal (October 18, 2022 file photo courtesy of Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s Flickr page)

Mayor Barbara Buffaloe has updated residents on Facebook and says she’s thankful for the swift response from CPD. Mayor Buffaloe writes that as a parent, she felt the weight of it deeply, noting her own children were playing on the playground up the hill that evening. Mayor Buffaloe also writes “We all deserve to feel safe in every part of the city, at any time of the day. That’s what I’m working for, and I know many of you are too.”

You can read the mayor’s full Facebook post here.