UPDATE: Police arrest suspect in Wright City shooting
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| Steward |
Police have arrested a St. Louis man sought in Sunday’s fatal shooting in Wright City. Major Case Squad investigators tracked Leon Lamor Steward, 24, to Jefferson City and arrested him Tuesday afternoon, said Wright City Police Chief Henry Matthews.
Sgt. Julie Scerine, a spokesperson for the Major Case Squad, said the arrest occurred without incident.
"We’ve been speaking with him, and he is cooperating," Scerine said.
Steward was uninjured.
Steward is accused of shooting Jonathan C. Reid, 22, of Wright City, who later died. Also wounded during the incident was Sharon Bush, 59, of Wright City. The shoot-out occurred in her home in the 100 block of South Elm Street.
Steward is being charged with first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and second-degree assault. He was being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.
"From the time the warrant was issued, we had investigators in St. Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City, Illinois, up and down the I-70 corridor and throughout the area running down leads and tips," said Warren County Sheriff Kevin Harrison. "It was a combination of street intelligence and tips, and it paid off."
"This was a daylight shooting in front of numerous witnesses," Harrison said. "We worked very hard to locate all the witnesses and interview them. It took a little while initially because of the number of people who witnessed the crime."
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Police on Tuesday were searching for Leon Lamor Steward, 24, in connection with Sunday's fatal shooting of Jonathan C. Reid, 22, of Wright City and the shooting of Sharon Bush, 59, of Wright City.
"We are asking for the assistance of the community in finding Mr. Steward," said Lt. Timothy Lowery, commander of the Major Case Squad, which is leading the investigation. "At this point, his whereabouts are unknown. We have not had any sightings in the last 12 hours."
Steward is described as black, 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 210 pounds.
Anyone who has information regarding Steward's whereabouts is asked to call the Major Case Squad at 636-456-4332 or 636-456-4933; or the Warren County Sheriff's Department at 636-456-2208.
"We have a suspect who, when he left the crime scene last night, he was armed. He should be considered very dangerous," Warren County Sheriff Kevin Harrison said Monday. "He's looking at a murder one charge. If anyone sees Mr. Steward, please contact us. They should not try anything themselves."
The shooting took place about 4 p.m. Sunday at Bush's home, in the 100 block of South Elm Street in Wright City.
Reid was struck with bullets multiple times. He was airlifted by ARCH helicopter to St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur, where he later died. Bush was struck once in the arm. She was treated at SSM St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake Saint Louis and released.
Steward is being charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, second-degree assault and armed criminal action.
"The shooting was the result of an ongoing problem between Mr. Steward and Mr. Reid," Lowery said Monday outside the Warren County Courthouse.
About seven or eight people were in the residence during the shooting, Lowery said.
Jeff Dennis of Troy was painting windows just across North West First Street when the shooting happened.
"It sounded like a bunch of firecrackers going off," Dennis said. "There were 10, maybe 12 rounds going off. A minute later, there were 10 or 12 more shots. We heard a bunch of kids screaming. We ran over thinking a kid was hurt, then we saw some older people running out yelling, 'They're shooting at us.'"
Lowery said an altercation took place in front of the residence and spilled into the residence, then the shooting started.
He said the ongoing problem was not drug-related, but Lowery declined to discuss specifics on the issue.
Wright City Police Chief Henry Matthews said police had been at the house a few times in response to matters such as theft and peace disturbance.
"The cops are over there about twice a week," said Dawn Fluehr, who lives across the street from the house where the shooting occurred. "But they've always kept it to themselves. They never brought it over here."
Fluehr said she was shocked.
"I just can't believe it happened, right across the street, right in the middle of the day," she said. "Police were over here looking for stray bullets. That's scary. I just thought, 'Oh, my God. This is a good neighborhood. This just doesn't happen here.'"
Harrison said he and Matthews jointly decided to call in the Major Case Squad because of the number of quality investigators the squad brings. Currently, 18 investigators are working on the case.
"There were a lot of witnesses to be interviewed and a crime scene to be processed," Harrison said. He said he and Matthews wanted witnesses interviewed before they had an opportunity to speak to each other.
The Major Case Squad is given five days to investigate the shooting.
