A Missouri family was returning home from a prenatal appointment when investigators say a confrontation over reckless driving escalated into gunfire
Credit: City of St. Louis
NEED TO KNOW
- A pregnant mom was allegedly shot while driving home from a prenatal appointment with her 2-year-old child and partner, according to the probable cause statement obtained by PEOPLE
- Authorities allege a road rage confrontation escalated into gunfire after two vehicles began following the family through St. Louis
- Anthony Lee-Armstrong, 19, faces multiple felony charges in connection with the shooting, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE
A Missouri family was driving home from a prenatal appointment with their 2-year-old child when what began as a confrontation over driving allegedly escalated into a shooting that left a pregnant woman wounded.
Now, prosecutors say Anthony Lee-Armstrong, 19, is facing multiple felony charges in connection with the May 17 incident in St. Louis, including first-degree assault, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and property damage, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.
The family was traveling near Russell Boulevard and South Jefferson Avenue when two vehicles, identified as a black Honda sedan and a Volkswagen sedan, allegedly cut them off while entering a QuikTrip parking lot, according to a probable cause statement.
Investigators said the male victim followed the vehicles into the lot and confronted the drivers about what he believed was reckless driving before returning to his own vehicle and leaving the area.
However, authorities allege the two vehicles then began following the family’s car, at times driving into oncoming traffic to keep up with them. As the victims attempted to get away by making a U-turn, gunshots were fired, according to the probable cause statement.
The pregnant victim, who investigators said was 11 weeks pregnant at the time, later told police she heard multiple gunshots before feeling pain in her back.
The woman suffered a gunshot wound to the rear of her upper left back, while the male victim sustained shrapnel injuries to his shoulder and chin, according to investigators. Authorities also said the family’s vehicle sustained significant ballistic damage.
After the shooting, the woman called 911 and reported that “2 black vehicles occupied by white males just shot up her vehicle.” She also told dispatchers that she had been shot in the shoulder, that the male victim may have also been injured and that a child had been inside the vehicle during the shooting, according to the probable cause statement.
When officers arrived, both adults were suffering from injuries and were transported to a hospital for treatment, according to investigators.
Authorities said surveillance footage captured the victims’ vehicle being followed through the area by the two suspect vehicles. Video obtained from a nearby business allegedly showed gunshots being fired from the driver’s seat of a Volkswagen sedan while the victims’ vehicle drove ahead of it, according to the probable cause statement.
Investigators said license plate reader technology identified the Volkswagen as being registered to Lee-Armstrong.
Credit: City of St. Louis
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The pregnant victim later identified Lee-Armstrong in a lineup as the driver of the Volkswagen and the person she said fired the shots. Authorities also alleged that Lee-Armstrong made “racist statements” toward the couple during the incident.
A witness who was inside the Honda involved in the confrontation also identified Lee-Armstrong as the Volkswagen driver, according to the probable cause statement.
Prosecutors accused Lee-Armstrong of knowingly firing a weapon from the Volkswagen, causing injury to one of the victims, according to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE.
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