A man charged with last September’s deadly triple shooting in downtown Columbia that killed a 21-year-old nursing student pleads guilty to all seven counts.
939 the Eagle News was at the Boone County Courthouse Tuesday morning when 24-year-old Misael Covarrubias pleaded guilty to second degree murder, two counts of first degree assault and four other felonies for the September 2025 triple shooting near Ninth and Broadway that killed Stephens College senior nursing student Aiyanna Williams.
Covarrubias was handcuffed and wore a jail jumpsuit in court and was seated next to defense attorney Isaac Dodd during the hearing.
Covarrubias will be sentenced on December 22 by Boone County Judge Stephanie Morrell, who accepted the guilty plea this morning. Judge Morrell said in open court that the entire range of punishment is open. This was an open plea.
Boone County assistant prosecutor Susan Boresi and Counselor Dodd both plan to call witnesses at the December 22 hearing, and Boresi indicated in open court that the two other victims who were shot suffered serious injuries.
CPD investigators said at the time that Covarrubias was involved in a verbal altercation that night in September 2025 and that he allegedly fired several shots toward the people he was arguing with. CPD says the three victims struck by gunfire were not involved in the altercation.