COLUMBIA — An initial appearance has been scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday after charges were filed in connection to a fatal shooting Saturday night on North Garth Avenue in Columbia, according to court records.
Michael Graham, 66, was charged Monday with second-degree felony murder, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, tampering with physical evidence and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, according to court records.
The Columbia Police Department responded to a shots-fired call at Oak Towers Apartments in the 700 block of North Garth Avenue on Saturday night, according to previous reporting.
Police said they found Vasshon Haywood, 48, with a gunshot wound inside an apartment. Haywood was transported to University Hospital to receive treatment but later died, according to court documents.
A witness told officers they went with Haywood to Graham's apartment and that Graham allegedly shot Haywood with a revolver after arguing with him, according to a probable cause statement.
The witness said there was no physical altercation between the two people before the shooting, according to the probable cause statement.
During a photo lineup, the witness identified Graham as the person who shot Haywood, according to the statement.
Security footage obtained from the apartment complex showed Graham exiting his apartment and entering a second witness's apartment, according to the probable cause statement.
The second witness told detectives Graham gave them the revolver with a fired cartridge casing in the cylinder and two drug vials found in the apartment, according to the probable cause statement.
The revolver was confirmed to be stolen, and a search warrant for Graham's apartment resulted in the discovery of a bag with a white powder as well as a plate with cocaine and Graham's credit card, according to the probable cause statement.
Graham has a criminal history and was a convicted felon in Missouri, so he is not legally allowed to possess firearms, according to the probable cause statement.
Oak Towers Apartments is a Columbia Housing Authority facility and is designed for older adults and people with disabilities.
CHA CEO Randy Cole said the incident was isolated, confined to a single apartment, and that no other residents are directly at risk.
"The alleged suspect left the unit immediately and was quickly apprehended by law enforcement," Cole said in a written statement to KOMU 8 news.
Cole said Graham is a resident of the apartment building.