Columbia’s first-ever Office of Violence Prevention administrator is condemning this weekend’s violence.
Five people were shot in three separate incidents across the city. Office of Violence Prevention administrator D’Markus Thomas-Brown joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Missouri”:
“Any public element of violence like that in that magnitude saddens me, and it should sadden our community. And it’s tragic. There’s no expression for it … there’s no room for it,” Thomas-Brown says.
Two men were shot in downtown Columbia early Sunday morning, just blocks from the police station. CPD says charges are pending against two juveniles in that case. No arrests have been made for Saturday night’s chaotic double shooting in Columbia’s Cosmopolitan park on the Business Loop. One victim was in critical but stable condition and the other victim was in serious condition, at last check.
Columbia’s new Office of Violence Prevention administrator is appealing to the community for unity to stop the growing violence:
“What I need and what we need from Columbians and from the residents here is unity. This must be our problem, and we must many hands lighten the load. And we must all come to play. We need bipartisan fixes,” he tells listeners.
Thomas-Brown hopes his position can be instrumental in developing systemic change by empowering individuals and families. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia College.
You can listen to the full “Wake Up” interview with D’Markus Thomas Brown here.
