FENTON, Mo. – St. Louis County Police are investigating a fatal road rage incident that happened Friday at Highway 141 just south of Gravois Bluffs. The suspect is in police custody.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Robert Mulkey, 53. of Crystal City, Missouri, with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting.
Police were called to the scene just after 8 a.m. when drivers in the area called 911 to report a hazard on the road. When they arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound.
The victim was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries. St. Louis County Police say that he did not survive the shooting and has been declared deceased.
Police say that the two men were involved in a road rage incident on northbound 141. They stopped their vehicles in the road and got into an argument. According to a probable cause statement obtained by FOX 2, the victim had flicked a cigarette at Mulkey before he tried to return to the vehicle. The victim was shot in the back.
A witness tells FOX 2 that a man got out of his truck and started pounding on the window of another vehicle. The witness says she heard a “pop” when the man started walking back to his truck. She saw him grab his back. A passenger in his vehicle then said, “He just got shot in the back.”
Police say that everyone involved in the incident remained on scene. There is an active investigation into the shooting.
There was another road rage shooting in Fenton about a month ago. Police said the shooting victim “aggressively pursued” the shooter. Both men were armed during that incident.
Local driving instructors say road rage incidents are nothing new.
“It’s going to happen. People get frustrated or are in a hurry,” said Simon Anderson, Coach Harder Driving School Owner. “It’s going to happen to everybody at some point.”
He says road rage is a topic students learn in the classroom.
“Do not engage. Don’t make eye contact. If you’re the victim, don’t make eye contact, don’t engage,” said Anderson. “Whatever you do, don’t pull over and stop, that’s what they’re trying to get you to do.”
Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak with investigators if you have any information. To remain anonymous or potentially receive a reward, please contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477).
