WENTZVILLE, Mo. — The suspect arrested and victim killed in a deadly Wentzville shooting Tuesday night were romantically involved with the same woman, according to the Wentzville Police Department's probable cause statement.
Officers responded to the scene of the shooting in the 1300 block of Hidden Valley Drive at around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, the department said. There, they found a man with a gunshot wound who was later pronounced dead by responding medics. That man has since been identified as 39-year-old Leon Anderson of St. Louis.
Wentzville Police Sgt. Jacob Schmidt told 5 On Your Side that the suspect, Carlos Hood, had been taken into custody after a community member turned in security footage that showed Hood in the area.
A woman at the scene of the shooting told police that she had been Anderson's on-and-off girlfriend for three years and had been dating Hood for a week.
An argument ensued between the woman and Anderson after Anderson broke in through her bedroom window while she and Hood were there, according to the probable cause statement.
Kimberly Morr lives in the neighborhood behind Hidden Valley Drive and heard the entire argument from her back porch. She repeatedly heard a woman yell, "What are you doing?"
"The last time, she sounded really terrified. Then she screamed once. It was shrill, like you knew something bad happened, and then it stopped abruptly. And then I heard a male voice say, 'Get out of here,'" Morr said.
Around seven minutes after the argument started, Hood grabbed a gun, shot Anderson once, and ran off into the woods, police said.
Anderson ran out of the apartment after being shot and collapsed near the parking lot, which is when the woman said she called 911.
"There's someone running around who I just heard murder someone. We sat around until about 3 to 4 in the morning with helicopters out, megaphones yelling for whoever it was to come out with their hands up," Morr said.
The woman said Anderson did not threaten Hood or herself during the argument and was looking to get to the bottom of the relationship.
After about six hours of searching, officers caught Hood with the help of a neighbor's ring camera. Sgt. Schmidt said they're praising the resident who came forward.
"They recognized the subject on camera that wasn't known to them. They knew we were looking for someone in the area working on this investigation. Detectives went over and reviewed that, identified our suspect, and confirmed that that was our suspect. So then we closed in the perimeter on that area and thankfully were able to take him into custody safely," Schmidt said.
Hood is facing charges of first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon. He's being held without bond.
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.
The Bullet Related Injury Clinic (BRIC) is a community-based clinic in St. Louis that helps people heal after they have been injured by a bullet. The BRIC was established to help people who are discharged from the emergency department after being shot.
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