US: Man shoots dead homeless person in broad daylight in St. Louis; arrested after chilling video goes viral

On Monday, police in St. Louis, Missouri arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly executing another man in broad daylight. The incident was captured on video and circulated widely on social media.

Police were called to the scene of the shooting just after 10 a.m. on Monday. When they arrived, they found the victim lying on the sidewalk with a wound to the head. A preliminary investigation found that the victim and the suspect, later identified as Deshawn Thomas, had engaged in a fight at a nearby gas station just before the shooting occurred.

Accused was nabbed soon after he fled from the crime scene

According to police, Thomas fled the scene of the shooting on foot. However, an officer later spotted him walking into a library and alerted the district. Thomas was taken into custody a short time later. At the time of his arrest, he was found to be in possession of a firearm and shell casings.

The Circuit Attorney's office charged Thomas with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Video footage of the incident, which lasted nearly a minute and a half, surfaced on social media shortly after it happened.

Video shows the shooting ordeal

The video shows three people in frame, with one person lying on a curb separating the road and sidewalk. One of the three men eventually walks away. The person either filming the video or present in the room tells another person to call the police, as the man standing over the victim has a gun in his hand. The suspected shooter, who police believe is Thomas, continues to stand over the man lying on the curb. The victim appears to be unaware of what is happening around him.

The suspected shooter calmly loads the gun while standing over the victim. Moments later, he points the gun at the head of the man lying on the curb and shoots him. The video has since been widely shared on social media.