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WELLSTON, MO ( KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
The FOX Files has obtained some disturbing video of a murder on tape. A man pulled out two handguns and began shooting right in front of a surveillance camera in St. Louis County. But the video might not be the most surprising thing about this story. It happened at Wellston Market, on a busy stretch of Page, near Skinker. It was about 1:30 in the afternoon and the store was hopping.
Argilicia Bobo said, "It just happened so fast. We didn't even see it coming."
She was standing by the front door, just a few feet from the shooter. The suspect argued with a few people while a crowd gathered. Then he walked away and turned back around facing the camera. He pulled two guns from his waist band. Argilicia was already inside.
She said, "Something told me to go in the store and that's exactly what I did. I grabbed this lady and said Ma c'mon, let's go. As soon as we stepped in the store that's when we heard all gunshots."
The suspect aimed in two different directions. He appeared to fire both handguns at once. Witnesses say one of the guys he was aiming for ducked -- but someone who's out of the cameras view -- took the bullet.
Argilicia added, "I walked outside to see what was going on. An innocent bystander. That's what's so messed up about it. He was an innocent bystander."
She said the victim crawled under a car and died. At another angle from a lightpole, you could see the suspect firing away as he chased his intended target toward Page.
Argilicia described him as "A cowboy. He was just shooting crazy. Anybody coulda get hit, seriously."
After it was all over, you can see the suspect walk by his victim. He may not have known the man crawled under one of the vehicles. The suspect appeared calm as he walked to his truck and drove away.
Police arrested Kent Taylor for the crime. The St. Louis County prosecutor charged him with second degree murder and armed criminal action. Former defense attorney Don Wolff told us that could mean just 15 years in prison.
Wolff said, "He's getting charged with a lesser offense than he might have gotten charged with if he had killed the person he was intending to kill."
Prosecutors won't talk. So we asked Wolff. Why not charge first degree murder? Besides reportedly shooting the wrong guy, Wolff points to that apparent argument before the crime. He said that could make it harder to prove the shooter planned anything.
Wolff said, "When a prosecutor argues, well once he pulled the gun out of his pocket then he intended to commit the act -- that -- juries don't often buy that as opposed to a person who plans the job out ahead."
But then there's the video, a powerful tool juries don't usually get to see. It shows the suspect pulling out his guns but it is 9 seconds before he pulls the trigger. Wolff said someone could argue that's a lot of time to think -- plus the fact the suspect has two guns.
"That shows me the guy came to the event prepared. That means there was some deliberation that occurred before he ever got there cause a person doesn't normally bring two guns in his belt to a casual conversation."
That's kind of how Argilicia looks at it, but she breaks it down like this -- "If you did it, you did it -- and it was shown right there on camera big as day."
And she says everyone knows about the cameras, monitored by a company called A.C. & T. electronics. The store even has a big screen tv inside, showing customers, you are being watched.
Prosecutors say they can't talk about this case since the murder just happened in late September. Wellston Police along with St. Louis County were able to use the video to make an arrest on the day of the shooting. An officer told me they do believe the suspect and victim knew each other and while the shooter may have hit the wrong guy -- the victim was part of that same argument before it all went down.
Suspect Kent Taylor, did not respond to phone calls or a letter sent to him in jail. His attorney said he hasn't even had a chance to see the tape and had no comment.
Argilicia Bobo said, "It just happened so fast. We didn't even see it coming."
She was standing by the front door, just a few feet from the shooter. The suspect argued with a few people while a crowd gathered. Then he walked away and turned back around facing the camera. He pulled two guns from his waist band. Argilicia was already inside.
She said, "Something told me to go in the store and that's exactly what I did. I grabbed this lady and said Ma c'mon, let's go. As soon as we stepped in the store that's when we heard all gunshots."
The suspect aimed in two different directions. He appeared to fire both handguns at once. Witnesses say one of the guys he was aiming for ducked -- but someone who's out of the cameras view -- took the bullet.
Argilicia added, "I walked outside to see what was going on. An innocent bystander. That's what's so messed up about it. He was an innocent bystander."
She said the victim crawled under a car and died. At another angle from a lightpole, you could see the suspect firing away as he chased his intended target toward Page.
Argilicia described him as "A cowboy. He was just shooting crazy. Anybody coulda get hit, seriously."
After it was all over, you can see the suspect walk by his victim. He may not have known the man crawled under one of the vehicles. The suspect appeared calm as he walked to his truck and drove away.
Police arrested Kent Taylor for the crime. The St. Louis County prosecutor charged him with second degree murder and armed criminal action. Former defense attorney Don Wolff told us that could mean just 15 years in prison.
Wolff said, "He's getting charged with a lesser offense than he might have gotten charged with if he had killed the person he was intending to kill."
Prosecutors won't talk. So we asked Wolff. Why not charge first degree murder? Besides reportedly shooting the wrong guy, Wolff points to that apparent argument before the crime. He said that could make it harder to prove the shooter planned anything.
Wolff said, "When a prosecutor argues, well once he pulled the gun out of his pocket then he intended to commit the act -- that -- juries don't often buy that as opposed to a person who plans the job out ahead."
But then there's the video, a powerful tool juries don't usually get to see. It shows the suspect pulling out his guns but it is 9 seconds before he pulls the trigger. Wolff said someone could argue that's a lot of time to think -- plus the fact the suspect has two guns.
"That shows me the guy came to the event prepared. That means there was some deliberation that occurred before he ever got there cause a person doesn't normally bring two guns in his belt to a casual conversation."
That's kind of how Argilicia looks at it, but she breaks it down like this -- "If you did it, you did it -- and it was shown right there on camera big as day."
And she says everyone knows about the cameras, monitored by a company called A.C. & T. electronics. The store even has a big screen tv inside, showing customers, you are being watched.
Prosecutors say they can't talk about this case since the murder just happened in late September. Wellston Police along with St. Louis County were able to use the video to make an arrest on the day of the shooting. An officer told me they do believe the suspect and victim knew each other and while the shooter may have hit the wrong guy -- the victim was part of that same argument before it all went down.
Suspect Kent Taylor, did not respond to phone calls or a letter sent to him in jail. His attorney said he hasn't even had a chance to see the tape and had no comment.
