MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — Almost two years after a deadly shooting inside the Maryland Heights Community Center, the suspect pleaded guilty to the crime.
Michael Honkomp had a court hearing Wednesday morning. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action, first-degree assault and resisting arrest. He was originally charged with first-degree murder. Sentencing is set for Feb. 3, 2022 in St. Louis County.
At the time of the shooting, Honkomp was a part-time employee working as a janitor at the community center. The night of Feb. 24, 2020 he was sent home from work and “reacted with anger,” Maryland Heights Police Chief Bill Carson said at the time.
Maria Lucas was the on-duty supervisor that night. After being told to leave work and go home, police said Honkomp went to Lucas and had a conversation with her and then pulled out a handgun and shot her.
Lucas, 45, died at the scene. He had been a city employee for seven years.
There were more than 150 people inside the community center when the shooting happened.
Moments later, a woman ran up to a Maryland Heights police officer who was in the parking lot of the facility. The officer immediately ran into the building alone and was confronted by Honkomp almost as soon as he walked through the doors, Chief Carson said in the days after the incident.
"The actions of our police officer were actually very heroic. He was notified that there had been a shooting, there was a man with a gun inside the community center. He immediately went inside the community center and confronted the gunman, and shots were exchanged," Carson said.
The officer wasn't injured, and no one else inside the facility was hurt.