Video of Deshawn Thomas allegedly executing David Saldana (Image via Twitter/screengrab)
A 23-year-old Missouri man has been identified as a suspect in the broad-daylight killing of a homeless man on the streets of downtown St. Louis. The brazen, execution-style shooting was captured on cell phone footage and quickly went viral across social media platforms.
The suspected shooter, Deshawn Thomas, was arrested Monday afternoon and charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action, jail records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the shooting took place at approximately 10 a.m. Monday in the 700 block of North Tucker Boulevard. Authorities arrived a short while later and reportedly located the victim—later identified as David Saldana—on the sidewalk with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses told investigators with the St. Louis Police Department that Thomas and the victim had a verbal altercation at a nearby Shell gas station just minutes before the fatal shooting, the Post-Dispatch reported.
Following the attack, Thomas allegedly fled the scene but was picked up by police after a patrol officer reportedly reported seeing him enter the St. Louis Public Library several hours later. He reportedly had a handgun and a bullet casing on his person at the time he was taken into custody.
Deshawn Thomas pictured in a St. Louis County Justice Center mugshot
When asked if the late-morning execution in a heavily populated area just outside of the Convention Center was unnerving, SLPD Maj. Ryan Cousins said he believed that was the case.
“Obviously, at this time of day, for any homicide is unnerving,” Cousins told the Post-Dispatch from the scene. “But for this to happen here and at this time, yes, very much so.”
Video of the shooting was filmed by a bystander and later posted to social media. The clip—which is approximately 30 seconds long—shows one man dressed in black sitting on the curb while another man wearing a blue jacket with yellow sleeves stands a few feet away from him.
The man in yellow appears to be casually holding a handgun before reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a magazine. The suspect then appears to spend about 10 seconds loading the gun before shooting the victim once in the back of the head.
The individual who filmed the incident can be heard yelling, “He just f***ing killed him!”
‼️Warning Graphic Video‼️
St. Louis, MO: A 23 yr old man was arrested for shooting a homeless man in the head after the two fought earlier down the street near a Shell gas station. The man was chased across the street before being shot. WTF! People just watching this unfold! pic.twitter.com/oW25aOFC9O— DeL2000 (@DeL2000) February 28, 2023
Thomas was scheduled to appear at the Carnahan Courthouse at noon on Wednesday for his initial appearance, court records show. Those records do not currently list an attorney as representing Thomas.
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