George P. Bush III mugshot.
George P. Bush III was identified as the gunman who shot and wounded a St. Louis police officer in an ambush-style attack that somewhat resembled one in San Antonio.
The injured St. Louis police sergeant, who is 46, survived being shot in the face and is able to talk, said Reuters.
The gunman had pulled up to the officer’s vehicle at an intersection and shot him. Bush, 19, was then shot and killed by police in a shootout early Monday morning. He was under investigation for a string of crimes, including a shooting and homicide.
The modus operandi of the shooting was very similar in some respects to the execution-style murder of a police officer in San Antonio, Texas, but there’s no indication of a connection. However, police now say the St. Louis shooting might not have been random. The St. Louis officer is expected to survive.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Officer Was Ambushed & Shot in the Face as He Sat in His Cruiser
LIVE on #Periscope: Chief briefs media on latest development in officer-involved shooting t.co/LhbWvgBeqX
The officer was shot twice in the head as he sat in his squad car, CNN said. Other news reports said he was shot in the face but has already been released from the hospital.
The St. Louis police chief said, “This officer was not trying to pull this car over. This officer was driving down the road and was ambushed.” The name of the officer was not yet released.
St. Louis police said the injured officer is a 46-year old male sergeant with 20 years of service. The officer is in critical/stable condition. “Suspect drove alongside officer’s marked police vehicle & fired shots into the vehicle, striking the officer. Suspect fled and is at large,” the police said on Twitter.
2. Police Shot & Killed the Gunman
“During tonight’s investigation, officers pulled behind suspect vehicle when the suspect fled on foot from car & fired shots at officers,” said the St. Louis police on Twitter.
“The suspect is deceased after shooting at officers again. He was wanted for shooting officer earlier tonight,” the police added. “Suspect’s shots struck officers’ vehicle. Officers not shot. Officers returned fire, striking & killing suspect. Suspect’s gun recovered.”
Bush was picked up by a female friend, and he fired a shot into another squad car windshield before being killed by the police, according to Fox 2 St. Louis.
3. The Slaying Was Similar to One in Texas
Eric Greitens wants ‘blue alert’ for attacks on police t.co/6BCLdt9WMJ
Earlier the same day, a separate officer was shot and killed in San Antonio, Texas by a suspect who ambushed him as he sat in a squad car writing a traffic ticket outside the police headquarters building.
The police chief there also described the slaying as a targeted attack and said it bore resemblance to the murders of police officers in Dallas, Texas, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The new Missouri governor has now called for a “blue alert” similar to an Amber Alert to help officers more quickly apprehend suspects in police shootings.
4. The Suspect Was in a Car Used in a Carjacking & Was Being Investigated For a Shooting & Homicide
Wounded St. Louis police sergeant had been looking for man who shot him, sources say t.co/w1WUzRwlH5
Bush was using a car taken in a car jacking, according to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Police were investigating whether Bush was involved in the murder of Joseph Hults, who was found murdered with a gunshot wound to the head in a burning car over the weekend, the newspaper said.
Fox 2 St. Louis said that Bush was also being investigated for shooting a woman at a Denny’s restaurant parking lot.
Police officers were also shot in Gladstone, Missouri and in Florida over the weekend. They are expected to recover. In the Gladstone shooting, police said Jacob Stevens, 18, ran from a traffic stop and then pulled out a weapon during a struggle with the officer.
5. The Shot Officer Might Have Been Followed After Serving a Search Warrant
Suspect in St. Louis police officer shooting killed t.co/00Uk10BHpo
St. Louis police said on Twitter, “Suspect wanted for violent crimes. We believe suspect shot officer earlier in evening in fear of being recognized. Investigation ongoing.”
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said the officer was looking for Bush before he was shot and had served a search warrant in that investigation earlier in the day.
The newspaper said Bush might have followed an officer after seeing them serve the search warrant.
The shot officer was married with three children, said CNN.
Bush lived in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood.