Gun shots heard near elementary school
Columbia police patrol the area outside of Ridgeway Elementary School on Thursday after reports of shots being fired nearby. There were no injuries, and police found no evidence at the scene.
Children at a Ridgeway Elementary after school program were taken inside after their caretakers heard what they believed to be gunshots.
The Columbia Police Department received multiple calls at 5:14 p.m. about the reported gunfire, Sgt. Chris Kelley said.
People who were calling in were reporting that 4 to 6 gunshots had been fired near the school.
Two onsite assistants for a before and after school program called Adventure Club, Paula Rathz and Kara Ensor, were on the playground with about 25 to 30 children. They were playing kickball when they first heard what they believed to be gunshots.
"All of a sudden, about seven gunshots [were fired] out of nowhere,” MU student Paula Rathz said.
Rathz said another assistant yelled, "Kids inside! Kids inside!"
The children were rushed inside.
"The doors were locked, the principal was notified, the cops were notified," Rathz said.
Rathz said that the kids were confused and that it was the first time she had heard gunshots in the area.
"I've never heard a gunshot before,” she said. “They were pretty loud, so we knew they were pretty close."
CPD currently has no suspects and were unable to find any concrete evidence of gunshots, Kelley said.
Officers canvassed the area and reported no findings of gun shot shells or eye witnesses and is therefore not considering this an on-going investigation, Kelley said.
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