ST. LOUIS — Police have been investigating a string of shootings they knew were connected, and now they say they have arrested the man responsible.
Investigators say shell casings from multiple shootings in St. Louis City and St. Louis County traced back to the same .40 caliber handgun.
Perez Reed, 25, was arrested Friday after he got off a train headed for St. Louis from Kansas City. He had that .40 caliber handgun when he was arrested, prosecutors said.
Investigators say the connected shootings in Missouri left four people dead and one seriously injured. Two people were fatally shot in Kansas City, Kansas, and their deaths may be connected to the same string of crimes.
Read about the victims in the connected cases here. The names of the victims killed in the shootings are Marnay Haynes, Lester Robinson, Pamela Abercrombie, Casey Ross, Damon Irvin and Daja Fairrow.
Who is Perez Reed?
Reed is a man from Bellefontaine Neighbors in St. Louis County.
Reed is going through a divorce. His wife filed the divorce in Jackson County, Missouri, in July. She lives in Kansas City, Kansas.
He turns 26 on Wednesday, November 10.
He has a distinctive crescent-shaped tattoo on his forehead.
What is he accused of?
Reed is charged with three shootings in St. Louis County. He's facing two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two victims, and one count of first-degree assault in the shooting of a man that left him with permanent injuries. He's also facing three counts of armed criminal action in St. Louis County.
In federal court, Reed is facing a charge of bringing a weapon across state lines with the intent to commit a felony.
He is a suspect in two shootings in St. Louis City, and he's linked to the deaths of two people in Kansas City, Kansas. Charges have not been issued in those cases. A spokesperson for the St. Louis City Circuit Attorney's Office said they are investigating.
Does Reed have a criminal history?
His criminal history includes an assault charge in 2019 and a reckless driving charge in Charlack in 2015.
Reed was connected to an alleged arson attempt that was later dismissed by a judge for failure to prosecute.
Prosecutors accused Reed, then 20, of trying to set an apartment on fire while people were inside, according to sources. This happened in Ferguson in August 2016. The case was dismissed in 2019.
Why did he commit the shootings he is accused of?
Authorities have not provided a motive for the shootings and would not speculate. They said they wanted to maintain the integrity of the investigation.
Most of the victims were women. Police said some were involved in sex work. Police do not believe the victims knew Reed or each other, with the exception of Fairrow, according to court documents. Reed told police he bought drugs from Fairrow, and records show they communicated by phone 652 times in October.
Where is he in custody?
Reed was in federal custody on charges of bringing a weapon across state lines with the intent to commit a felony.
Reed waived his right to a detention hearing, so he will remain in custody.
He may be turned over to St. Louis County to face charges there.