ST. LOUIS – A man lost a finger in a shooting outside a gas station in the Benton Park neighborhood of south St. Louis.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s probable cause statement, the shooting happened on August 13 in the 3200 block of South Jefferson Avenue.

Police said the victim was at the gas station when a vehicle pulled alongside him. The victim recognized his girlfriend in the passenger seat and Darren A. Howard, 25, behind the wheel.

Howard allegedly shot the victim four times at close range and in rapid fashion.

Police said Howard was also in a romantic relationship with the victim’s girlfriend and this had caused a dispute between the two men.

Surveillance video shows the shooting and license plate readers were used to help investigators track and identify the vehicle, police said.

Howard was taken into custody on August 26. Police said he had a Glock 22 with a sear switch on it, which would allow the gun to function as a fully automatic weapon.

Police said Howard has a prior felony conviction from 2018 in Illinois.

The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged Howard with first-degree assault, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of an illegal weapon, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.