ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A man is accused of fatally shooting a man who fell into the door of his apartment over Fourth of July weekend.
According to St. Louis County police, 31-year-old Larry Neal Jr., of Florissant, was walking in an apartment breezeway, tripped on a barbecue grill and fell into the door of an apartment where 30-year-old Thomas Clement was standing. Clement then walked away and went up the stairs and returned to the door with a gun in his hand.
Neal Jr. was walking up the stairs when Clement flourished his gun at him. Neal Jr. then walked back down the stairs and reached the landing of the stairwell when Clement started shooting at him. Police said approximately 11 shots were fired by Clement and Neal Jr. did not have a weapon.
Malaysia Worthy, who didn't want to get on camera, lives right where the shooting happened. She said Neal Jr. was a regular visitor to the complex, which made it more of a reason to help him as he laid in front of the door gasping for air.
"I kept seeing him gasp for air and he was shot five times, one in the chest, one here and four in his stomach, so six times I think. His friend did the mouth to mouth, I was holding the bullet wound while trying to do CPR with one hand," Worthy said.
Neal Jr. died later in the hospital.
Clement is facing one count of second-degree murder and one count of armed criminal actions.
Police said they believe Clement is a danger to the community due to the nature of the charges.
Detectives from the St. Louis County Police Department’s Bureau of Crimes Against Persons are conducting the investigation.