Gunned down at a gas station.

On Sunday, investigators captured a man they believed to have opened fire on a car parked at a gas station that killed three women. Three children inside the bullet-riddled vehicle were able to escape without harm. The ages and the relationships to the woman were unknown. At least one of the women knew the gunman. Most of the injuries were sustained in the torso of the women and later died at the hospital, stated Illinois State Police Officer, Lt. James Morrisey. Jay Makhuf, a co owner of the convenience store where the shooting took place, stated he heard around 14 gunshots. He ran outside to offer medical assistance but the women were already dead. Makhuf stated it appeared that one of the women had covered one of the children with her body to shield the child. Police in St. Louis arrested the suspect Sunday night at an apartment after an intensive search for the vehicle he was driving; white, four-door 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis; he allegedly drove to and from the shooting. The name of the suspect was not released because charges had not been filed.

The exact cause of the shooting isn’t clear at this time. All that is known is that the women and children were sitting in the car around 9:30 pm on Saturday when the suspect drove up, exchanged words with at least one of the women and then began firing with what appeared to be a handgun and the sped away. Sunday night the gas pump where the women were gunned down was like a memorial, covered in flowers and a teddy bear. One of the women’s fathers stated the women were good friends and that his daughter had three sons, it is still unclear if they were the three children in the car.

I could not imagine if this was my friends or family. I could not imagine what would make someone so mad that they would have to kill over it. I mean it is just words. The old saying is “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Apparently, whatever the women said to him hurt him bad enough that he believed he had to kill them. My heart goes out to these families and the children who may have lost their mothers.