ST. LOUIS — Multiple felony charges were filed Saturday against a 41-year-old man after allegedly shooting a 17-year-old boy Friday night inside a St. Louis barbershop.
Antoine Bankhead, 41, faces one count each of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection to a shooting that left a teenage boy with a gunshot wound.
The shooting happened just before 6:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of Washington Avenue, near the border of St. Louis' Grand Center and Central West End neighborhoods.
Police said on Dec. 22, Bankhead and a friend went into a barbershop on Washington Avenue. Other patrons told investigators they heard a gunshot come from the Bankhead that struck the victim.
The barbershop owner told Bankhead and his friend to leave while others helped treat the boy's wound inside the business' restroom.
Officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department responded and found the boy shot in the arm. He was taken to an area hospital where he had surgery on his wound.
Bankhead and his friend left the business before the police arrived, court records said.
Witnesses named Bankhead to officers responding to the shooting, and they referred to Bankhead's limp when they described him. An employee at the barbershop who knew Bankhead also named him as the shooter. Officers also discovered what car Bankhead drove to the barbershop.
Using the car's description, police stopped Bankhead and his friend.
A photo of Bankhead was shown to two different witnesses, and both said he was the shooter. A detective who investigated the incident also noticed that Bankhead had a limp.
Police recovered a firearm from Bankhead when he was taken into custody.
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Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
Cure Violence is an international organization that is present in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to de-escalate violent situations within their own communities.
