ST. LOUIS — A man arrested in a St. Louis homicide tried to seriously harm a second victim, but his gun wouldn’t shoot. That’s according to new court documents obtained by 5 On Your Side Tuesday.
St. Louis police confirmed officers arrested Joseph Downing in the fatal shooting of a man and injury of a woman back in July in north St. Louis.
Downing and a 25-year-old woman – who knew each other – got into an argument on the afternoon of July 25 in the 3500 block of Clarence, according to the probable cause statement. She tried to leave the area with another man, Tobyron Shaw.
As they tried to leave, police said Downing started to argue with Shaw and then shot Shaw in the head, chest and torso. As Shaw tried to run away, Downing shot the woman in her face, court documents state.
“When the defendant attempted to fire again, the pistol failed to shoot and the defendant struck her with it several times,” a detective wrote in the probable cause statement.
The woman suffered a gunshot wound to her mouth, leaving permanent scarring on her face, police said.
Shaw died at the scene.
Downing, 32, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action. The court documents state he has a criminal history, including previous convictions for distributing controlled substances and assaulting a law enforcement officer.
According to the case information on the Missouri courts website, a judge denied bond for Downing.
