A St. Louis man on a bathroom break at a QuikTrip [in St. Charles, Missouri] shot and killed an armed robber early Saturday.
Police said the robber was on a “violent crime spree” across three St. Charles gas stations.
The QuikTrip customer, identified only as a 26-year-old man from St. Louis, stopped around 3:20 a.m. at the gas station at 2260 First Capitol Drive to use the restroom and make a purchase, St. Charles police said in a release. The man was on his way back to his vehicle in front of the store when he saw a black SUV pull up abruptly.
The customer watched a man get out of the SUV, run into the QuikTrip carrying a backpack, and approach a clerk by the coffee pots, police said. He then grabbed the clerk and dragged her to the front of the store while she was screaming.
The customer saw the man inside the station holding a knife to the clerk’s throat. The customer got his 9 mm (sic) handgun from his vehicle, entered the store, and confronted the suspect, police said.
The suspect grabbed his backpack, told the man, “I have something for you,” and walked toward him, police said.
The customer then fired several times. The suspect fell to the floor. The customer and the clerk, who were uninjured, both called 911, police said.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
