A 16-year-old from Columbia has been charged in connection to the death of 18-year-old Zarian Simpson in June 2025, according to court documents.
Rodney Moore Jr., who was 15 at the time of the shooting, was charged as an adult in Boone County Thursday with first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and second-degree felony murder.
Moore is charged alongside Steven Paden IV, 34, in connection to the shooting. Two other juveniles have also been arrested in the case but their identities have not been released, according to past reporting.
Video footage showed four individuals robbing Simpson at gunpoint, according to new probable cause statement obtained by KOMU 8 News.
Simpson called 911 after the robbery to report he had been hit in the face with a gun and that his bag was stolen. He told dispatchers he was chasing the suspects in his vehicle, and during the call dispatchers reported hearing gunfire, according to the probable cause statement.
Boone County Joint Communications received other reports of gunfire around the same time, along with reports of a vehicle chase, according to court documents.
When the police arrived at the scene of the shooting, Simpson was found deceased with gunshot wounds in the driver’s seat of his vehicle in the area of East Broadway and South Old 63.
Law enforcement vehicles block the scene of a deadly shooting along East Broadway near Old 63 on June 15, 2025.
During a post-Miranda interview, Moore allegedly admitted to robbing Simpson but denied his involvement in shooting the victim, according to the probable cause statement.
Moore was identified after a citizen contacted the police, according to court documents. Additionally Moore's mother confirmed his location was at the scene of the crime when it occurred, according to the probable cause statement.
Moore's arraignment is set for 1 p.m. Friday at the Boone County Courthouse. He is currently being held without bond, according to court records.
Paden is set to go to trial this June.