COLUMBIA — The family of a man seriously injured in a shooting on Clark Lane says he is alive, despite reports from the Columbia Police Department that he died.
Columbia Police Department spokesperson Brian McNeill said Thursday that Orrion Moody, 28, died of injuries sustained in a shooting on Sunday in the 4200 block of Clark Lane.
However, Moody's stepmother, and partner told KOMU 8 that he is alive and on life support at a local hospital.
Moody's stepmother, Staci Lynn Hanton, said Moody was alive Thursday night.
Multiple representatives from MU Health Care, the only hospital in Columbia with a trauma center, said on Friday the hospital did not have any information to share about a patient with Moody's name. KOMU 8 reached out to multiple parties within the hospital in an attempt to clarify, but the hospital said they do not have any information on a patient by that name.
Police arrested Tavion Johnson, 19, on Tuesday in connection with the shooting, and he faces felony charges including first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon, according to court documents.
Hanton expressed her frustration over the "misinformation" regarding Moody's reported death and said both brothers were not only siblings but also best friends and lived together.
She said their mother, Shanette, and Moody's partner Deshayda Bradford have been at his side in the hospital.
"He is very much fighting and here with us," Moody's partner, said in a message to KOMU 8 Friday afternoon.
McNeill said in a statement emailed to KOMU 8 Friday afternoon that the police department communicates a time of death after medical staff members communicate that time of death to the department.
"This information is shared as quickly as possible with local media to keep the community informed and to encourage potential leads," McNeill said in the statement.
McNeill said detectives work closely with medical staff when victims with life-threating injuries are receiving treatment.
"When dealing with horrific crimes, such as homicides, it is a delicate balance to keep the public informed while also prioritizing the family’s need for privacy," McNeill said. "This balance is always challenging, and we strive to achieve it when working with local hospitals and the prosecutor’s office."
Johnson made his first court appearance Thursday but has not been arraigned and is being held without bond.
Police responded to the shooting around 10:50 p.m. on Sunday following reports of shots fired in the 4200 block of Clark Lane, police said. Officers found Moody at the scene with a gunshot wound, alongside a handgun, multiple shell casings and evidence of gunfire impacting a nearby fence, a residence and multiple vehicles, according to court documents.
