A suspected robber was killed early Saturday at around 3:20 a.m. by a Missouri customer at a QuikTrip convenience store in St. Charles.
The St. Charles Police Department identified the armed suspect as Lance M. Bush. Police believe he was responsible for multiple crimes, targeting gas stations in St. Charles on a “violent crime spree.” Bush was 26 years old and homeless.
A previous armed robbery and burglary at two gas stations were already under investigation before local police received reports of gunshots fired at the QuikTrip store. The store was located around 22 miles outside St. Louis near the 1400 block of S Fifth Street.
“Police officers arrived to discover the suspect had been shot by a citizen during the armed robbery,” read a post on Facebook by the St. Charles police. “The suspect was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.”
The witness was a 26-year-old citizen from St. Louis who arrived at the gas station at roughly 3:20 a.m. for a toilet break, and to also make a purchase at the QuikTrip store.
On the way back to his vehicle parked in front of the store, he saw a black SUV pull up. The suspect exited the SUV, carrying a backpack, and entered the store. The witness then reportedly saw the suspect holding a knife to a 26-year-old female employee’s throat, who was screaming while he dragged her to the counter.
The customer recalled, “I saw him grab her and drag her to the front of the counter, something wasn’t right when I saw that, so me being concealed carry, I had my gun on me and I just waited.”
“The witness retrieved his 9mm handgun, entered the store, and confronted the suspect,” said officers. “The suspect grabbed his backpack and told the witness, ‘I have something for you.’ The suspect then comes from around the counter and approaches the witness who fired several times at the suspect who fell to the floor.”
Police say the customer and employee called 911. They were both uninjured. The black SUV was a 2013 Toyota Highlander stolen from the 13500 block of Riverport Drive in Maryland Heights in an armed robbery.
According to police, the suspect entered a convenience store just before 3 a.m. and held a knife at a 43-year-old female employee, forcing her to open the cash register. He stole money from the cash register and pushed her onto the ground, dragging her to the back of the store to locate the safe. She was dragged back to the front counter to open a second register after the clerk couldn’t open the safe.
The suspected robber inflicted injuries to the female employee, who suffered lacerations on her left wrist, right hand, and neck. Fortunately, police say she was transported to the hospital for medical treatment and that her injuries are non-life threatening.
At around 3:14 a.m, an alarm went off up the street at Mid-Town Phillips 66. The St Charles Police Department said in a statement, “Officers arrived to discover broken glass indicating a burglary had just taken place.”
The identity of the customer who killed Bush has not been released by the police; county prosecutors will determine if the killing was justified by reviewing the case first.
The investigation is currently ongoing.
