Boone County prosecutors have filed unlawful possession of a firearm charges against a man who admits shooting and killing a man Thursday in the parking lot of Jake’s Bar and Grill on Columbia’s Clark lane.
New court documents indicate the shooting likely happened during an argument over who paid for drinks inside the bar. While Boone County prosecutors have not charged 45-year-old Steven Jones of Columbia with murder or manslaughter at this time, they have charged with him unlawful possession of a firearm.
Court documents say surveillance video shows Jones removing a pistol from his waistband during the argument, and Jones allegedly admits in the court documents that he fired the pistol that killed the 42-year-old St. Louis man. The victim’s name has not been released yet.
Jones’ initial arraignment is set for Tuesday afternoon at 1 in Boone County Circuit Court. Jones, a convicted felon, cannot legally own a gun. A separate court filing from Boone County assistant prosecutor Elizabeth Weaver describes Jones as a flight risk, saying Jones “may flee the jurisdiction given that more serious charges might be forthcoming.”
Jones also been arrested on unrelated warrants for third degree assault, armed criminal action and two other felonies for an October 2023 incident in Columbia, where he allegedly pointed a gun at a woman and punched her at least five times, after thinking she had taken his gun.
