By: Travis Cummings, KSDK News
March 9, 2023
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Suspect on the run after attempted robbery, shooting at St. Peters grocery store
The suspect, 24-year-old Tyrone Miller of O’Fallon, Illinois, was charged with a number of crimes.
ST. PETERS, Mo. — A man who allegedly shot a woman in a Schnucks parking lot Friday night in St. Peters was charged but remained on the loose Wednesday.
The suspect, 24-year-old Tyrone Miller of O’Fallon, Illinois, was charged with one count each of first-degree assault, first-degree attempted robbery and armed criminal action in connection to the shooting.
St. Charles County police said Miller tried to take a woman’s purse at about 8 p.m. Friday in the store’s parking lot.
A probable cause statement provided by the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office stated that when the woman in her 50s did not surrender the purse, Miller shot her in the face and left the scene. The woman’s husband was with her and recounted the incident.
The document added police positively identified Miller from surveillance video from a robbery in Shrewsbury earlier that day. He has a criminal history of kidnapping and armed criminal action.
5 On Your Side spoke to shoppers in the area Wednesday.
“It’s pretty incredible considering the area we’re in,” shopper Jeremiah Mische said. “We never see any violence like that. It’s very brazen.”
“People that are out committing these crimes,” Russ Morris said. “They need to be put in prison. They need to be kept in prisons. We need to build more prisons if need be.”
Michael Barbieri with intelligence firm Global Intelligence Consultants said the woman did the right thing by not shopping alone. He urged people to watch their surroundings and not agitate an offender during an attempted robbery.
“If the guy wants your purse, let him have your purse,” Barbieri said. “If the guy wants your wallet, give him your wallet. You’re going to survive that. You may not survive it if you start fighting with the guy who’s got the gun.”
The other major issue at play, one citizens across the region have pointed to in recent months, is repeat offenders not receiving harsher penalties once they are caught and arrested.
“If we do a deep dive on him, we’ll probably figure out he has been institutionalized,” Barbieri said. “So he gets out and does the same thing over and over again.”
Miller was last seen driving a silver Honda CR-V with several others inside. Officials said the SUV was rented and found abandoned Sunday in East St. Louis.
Those with any information about the suspect or about the incident were asked to contact the police.