ST. LOUIS – A south St. Louis apartment manager is behind bars and accused of murder in the shooting death of an alleged trespasser.
Prosecutors have charged Shane C. Richmond, 48, with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the investigation. Authorities say he is the property manager for apartments in the 5700 block of South Broadway in the Carondelet neighborhood.
Court documents obtained by FOX 2 have not disclosed the date or time the shooting happened, but note that Richmond initially claimed to have shot the victim in self-defense.
According to court documents, Richmond lives in one of the apartment units and heard a suspicious noise one night. Investigators say he started walking around while armed with a gun and noticed a broken window to one entry point of a window.
A witness told authorities that Richmond entered a vacant room and noticed one man kneeling sideways with his hands up.
Per court documents, Richmond claims the alleged trespasser stood up, started to make aggressive comments, and ran toward him moments before he was shot. A witness disputes this claim and asserts that the victim never stood up.
Investigators say there is no evidence suggesting that more than one real bullet was fired or that the victim might have had a weapon.
A warrant was issued for Richmond’s arrest on Tuesday. He is being held in the City of St. Louis without bond.
