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ST. COUNTY OF LOUIS • A 53-year-old House Springs woman was shot dead by an armed man at a Catholic supply store located in a Manchester Road Mall on Monday afternoon, police said.
On Tuesday morning, the police released a detailed description of the attacker, stating that he was a white man, aged about 40 to 50 years old and a height of 5 feet 7 inches at 5 feet 9 inches. He wore a black or gray paperboy cap, a navy blue jacket, a red, white and black check shirt, glasses, a brown belt with a red and blue square on the buckle.
The shooting was reported to the police at 3:19 pm and the police closed the mall located in the 14,000 block of Manchester Road and launched a manhunt that lasted into the night.
At a press conference a few hours after the shooting, a police spokesman said that the investigators had "no idea" of the motive and that the man did not seem to know the victims. St. Louis County Police Sgt. Shawn McGuire has encouraged anyone with information or having seen anything suspicious to call the police.
"We have an armed and armed man who has already killed a person," McGuire said.
McGuire said Schmidt was seriously injured in the shooting and taken to the hospital. In a subsequent briefing, McGuire said that she was dead.
Police have urged anyone with information on human or gunshot to call the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 or CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-8477.
The former St. Louis County Police Chief, Tim Fitch, who was elected earlier this month to the district county council where the crime was committed, said the department had assured him that there were about 60 agents who knocked on doors and engaged in commercial transactions looking for leads as well as any surveillance video that could have captured clues.
It was unclear whether security cameras caught the attacker at one point. When asked if the crime was filmed, McGuire replied that there was none to release.
On the mall, no CCTV camera was visible outside many companies.
Police closed most of the mall, in an unincorporated area of West County, near Queeny Park, on the north side of Manchester Road, between Interstate 270 and Highway 141. Mr. McGuire said stated that the officers had searched the area and were walking or in a vehicle.
Dan Stutte, president of Catholic Supply, said in a statement Monday night: "We are shocked and saddened by the events that occurred Monday afternoon at our West County site. It was a senseless tragedy. Please, join us as we pray for the victims and their families. "
When the shotgun's death was announced, the archdiocese tweeted, "Lord, grant him eternal rest, and let a perpetual light shine upon it." for the victims. He urged the community to help find the culprit.
"Our thoughts are with the victims of this tragic tragedy at Catholic Supply," the statement said.
The officers were first brought to the scene by a 911 caller who reported that the gunman had entered the store and ordered the women to undress under a gun, and had sexually assaulted several men. Between them before pulling one of them to the head. McGuire said that at least one sexual assault had occurred inside the store, but did not know how many victims there had been.
The Catholic supply store is one of three in the family chain. The other two are on Highway K in O'Fallon, Missouri, and on Chippewa Street in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood.
"Our Manchester site will be closed while the police investigation continues," the company said in a message posted on Facebook. "Our other retail stores will be closed Tuesday to give our staff time to be with their families. We will reopen Wednesday with increased security on each of our sites during the holiday season. "
Denise Hollinshed, Rachel Rice and Nassim Benchaabane contributed to this report.
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