A would-be robber was shot dead while attempting to steal from a pizza delivery driver in south St Louis last week.
Lavon Courtney Jr, 17, died after being struck by gunfire during an attempted robbery in the Dutchtown neighborhood at 10.20pm on Thursday.
Police say Courtney and a not-yet-identified accomplice attacked a 41-year-old driver for Imo Pizza by hitting him in the head with a pistol.
Lavon Courtney Jr, 17, was shot and killed in south St Louis on Thursday night after police say he hit a pizza delivery driver with a gun then opened fire on him in an attempted robbery
As the driver ran back to his vehicle Courtney opened fire on him but missed.
The delivery driver then returned fire using his own weapon, striking Courtney and killing him.
The second man managed to escape and is now being hunted by investigators, though a description has not been issued.
Fortunately the driver escaped with only a laceration to his forehead but he has since quit his job, telling KMOV he was suffering from anxiety.
Police have ruled the shooting was justified, meaning the driver was within his rights to open fire and the death will not count toward the city’s homicide total.
Theresa Hill, who has lived in the neighborhood all her life, said the city is becoming more dangerous and she fears being hit by a stray bullet.
The 41-year-old driver, who worked at Imo’s Pizza, returned fire and struck Courtney, killing him. He has since quit his job because of anxiety issues
But, she added: ‘I’m glad the delivery driver was able to help himself. Everyone has that right.’
The incident marks the fifth food delivery driver in South City to be targeted in an attempted robbery since August 2017.
St Louis is officially the second most violent city in America, according to an FBI report published earlier this year.
The city recorded a rate of 60 murders per 100,000 people last year, and was topped only by Detroit.