ELLISVILLE, Mo. — A man who police said fired at multiple vehicles and a custard stand in Ellisville, Missouri, Sunday had an arsenal at his home and threatened to commit a crime at the popular St. Louis venue The Pageant that was “10 o’clock newsworthy,” the I-Team has learned.
Multiple police sources described the man as a “disgruntled employee” of The Pageant who had “become mentally unstable.”
Jeffrey Burnett, 52, was charged with four counts of unlawful use of a weapon and four counts of armed criminal action.
Police said he caused property damage at the venue, including spray painting the building and, in recent days, spray painted his own truck with “(expletive) The Pageant” on it.
Police said he sped away from Manchester police officers after they tried to stop him for a minor traffic infraction on June 11.
Manchester police then conducted a wellness check at Burnett's home, but he wasn't there.
On May 30, Manchester police were called to his home for a disturbance. He was outside yelling into a cellphone, according to Chief Scott Will.
Burnett asked police to call an ambulance for him, and his mother told police she was concerned about him. She walked through his home with Manchester officers, and removed six to seven guns from her son's home, according to Will.
At 2 p.m. Saturday, St. Louis police were called to The Pageant after witnesses told police he spray painted graffiti on a large area of sidewalk, flower planters and the windows. He ran over several barricades while fleeing the scene, according to the sources.
St. Louis police went back to The Pageant at 7:14 p.m. Saturday and saw Burnett arrive there riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle wearing a plate carrier with an axe in his rear pocket and a small satchel.
One of the officers recognized him, drew his gun and ordered him onto the ground. Burnett then threw his satchel at the front entrance and sped away on his motorcycle, police said. Police found cans of vegetables inside the satchel, according to the sources.
Police said he then fired shots at Silky’s Custard near Manchester Road and Weis Avenue along with several vehicles Sunday. According to a probable cause statement, the store suffered ballistic damage to its front glass door and a commercial freezer inside the store.
A Facebook post from the Ellisville Police Department said a man driving a motorcycle fired the shots.
While still traveling west, police said Burnett struck a car at the next intersection, Manchester Road and Old State Road, causing ballistic damage to the driver's side. He then shot at another vehicle just east of the Ellisville Towne Center Drive, police said, causing a victim to suffer lacerations from glass shards. Ballistic damage was found on the driver's window, head rest and other areas.
St. Louis County police officers in Wildwood also responded to calls about shots fired on Highway 100 near Pond Road where the man fired into another vehicle, a St. Louis County Police spokesperson said. The driver suffered a leg laceration from glass shards, and there was ballistic damage to the car's driver's side and the windshield.
According to a probable cause statement, Burnett was seen riding a motorcycle in the area and carrying a gun prior to the shootings.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol pursued the motorcycle in Pacific in Franklin County and then onto I-44 in Eureka. Burnett crashed near Six Flags Road and then ran into a wooded area. He ran away from officers, but was taken into custody, according to the highway patrol said.
A "MAC-10" firearm was recovered during his arrest.
According to a probable cause statement, Burnett made "spontaneous incriminating statements" while being treated at the hospital.
Anyone with information can call the Ellisville Police Department at 636-227-7777. Anonymous tips can be submitted through CrimeStoppers at stlrcs.com, by calling 866-371-8477 (TIPS), or by using the free CrimeStoppers App: P3TIPS (App Store) (Google Play).
Anonymous tips for unsolved crimes could earn tipsters a cash reward of up to $2,000.
Ellisville is being held on $350,000 cash-only, no 10% bond.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story contained inaccurate information from police about the number of guns found inside the suspect's home.