A video showing a man casually shooting a homeless man in broad daylight is going viral. The horrific attack has sparked outrage online and angered many residents of St. Louis, Missouri.
The harrowing footage was captured by a witness and posted to social media. It shows one man pointing a gun at another man who is sitting on the sidewalk outside The Globe Building in downtown St. Louis on Monday morning.
Still a dangerous place
This is a scene that has left a lasting impact on the lives of many who have seen it. It is heartbreaking to watch the poor victim struggle to survive, while a stranger casually loads his weapon and shoots him in the back of the head without provocation.
What a tragic moment for this city, and for many who have lost loved ones in violent crimes. The harrowing clip, which has been shared millions of times on social media, reveals that there is still a lot of hate in the streets.
According to police, the gunman, Deshawn Thomas, 23, was charged with murder and armed criminal action Tuesday after the victim, David Saldana, was found dead on the sidewalk after he was shot in the head. The shooting occurred just after 10 a.m. and was caught on a witness’ video camera, which showed Thomas standing behind Saldana as he sat on the curb.
It appears that Thomas was trying to load his gun before he fired it. He spent around 30 seconds struggling to get the weapon loaded before he pointed the barrel at Saldana and pulled the trigger.
After Saldana was killed, witnesses and police described the incident as an execution style killing. They said they had witnessed the two men fighting at a Shell gas station earlier in the day.
While the incident was initially thought to be a random shooting, investigators gathered information about the two men and their relationship. They learned that Thomas had a dispute with Saldana at the Shell gas station in the 700 block of North Tucker Boulevard just minutes before he shot him, authorities say.
Oh Miss Missouri
The victim, who is believed to be a man in his 40s, had fended off Thomas at the gas station and then tried to escape. The pair were spotted arguing on the sidewalk and Thomas was chasing them across the street, according to police.
Several hours later, Thomas was arrested after police reportedly spotted him in a library nearby. He was also found with a firearm and bullet casings, officials said.
This harrowing crime has left people wondering where the violence is coming from and what’s happening to our city. It’s a worrying sign that we are becoming more and more unsafe, even in our own backyards.
Some are calling for the resignation of Kim Gardner, the city’s top prosecutor. The Democrat, who has been in office since 2017, has received a lot of criticism over the city’s crime rate and the high number of murders.
