The Boone County Sheriff’s Office says several gun-related incidents in and around Columbia this year are tied to gang activity.

Officials say a 15-year-old boy was shot in the face this week on North Parkview Court just one of several youth-involved shootings since April.

Police officials say investigators have identified multiple small and larger gangs operating in the area and that both victims and suspects are getting younger, and call it a growing issue of youth-on-youth violence.

City leaders, including Columbia’s Office of Violence Prevention, say addressing root causes is essential to stopping the violence before it spreads further.