ST. LOUIS – Cell phone video of an execution-style murder in downtown St. Louis that has been widely circulated on social media had the mayor, city police and even lawmakers speaking out Wednesday.
Deshawn Thomas, 23, is charged with murder and armed criminal action for the Monday killing of David Saldana, according to police. The shooting happened on the 700 block of N. Tucker near the Globe Building.
The police report states the men were involved in a fight at a nearby Shell gas station shortly before the shooting. Police found Thomas about five hours later after a patrol officer spotted him entering the library on Olive Street.
Cell phone video, seen at least 17 million times, shows Saldana sitting on a curb while the man police identified as Thomas takes out a gun, loads it, then shoots the victim in the head.
Mayor Tishaura Jones called the incident horrific after being asked about the shooting during a bill signing Wednesday morning.
“Our hearts go out to the victim of that horrible crime but we also want to thank the police department for their swift action in arresting the suspect and making sure that that person is held accountable. We want to make sure that we work with our police department and our prosecutor’s office to make sure that people are held accountable for the crimes that they commit,” said Jones.
During a weekly briefing, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department mentioned the use of its surveillance video to track the suspect’s movements which led to an arrest.
“This investigation is a prime example of the way our department utilizes tech and our real time crime center to assist our investigators. While the video being circulated on social media is very disturbing, it is believed this incident involved a personal dispute between the suspect and the victim,” said St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Christi Marks.
The deadly shooting was also mentioned on the Missouri House floor Wednesday afternoon during debate over a public safety bill that includes returning control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police to the state.
State Rep. Brad Christ, R-St. Louis County, brought up Monday’s incident while running down a list of reasons why the police department should be controlled by a state board made up of St. Louis residents, including the Mayor.
Sen. Josh Hawley also retweeted video of the incident, tweeting that Kim Gardner, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney “must go.” The tweet also says “prosecute the criminals.” Last week, the Missouri attorney general filed a petition to have Gardner removed from office. The move follows years of criticism over her office’s handling of cases, an exodus of career prosecutors and a fractious relationship with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.