One 19-year-old died and another was critically wounded after gunfire in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood, police said.
ST. LOUIS, MO — A 39-year-old St. Louis man has been charged with first-degree murder after police said he opened fire near his parked vehicle, killing one 19-year-old and critically injuring another in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood.
Timothy Kemper also faces charges of first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and three counts of armed criminal action, according to court records. The charges stem from an early morning shooting July 16 in the 6500 block of Scanlan Avenue. Kemper’s attorney has argued that he acted in self-defense, according to local news reports. The charges are allegations, and Kemper has not been convicted.
St. Louis police said District 2 officers were called shortly before 4:30 a.m. after two men with gunshot wounds were dropped off at a hospital. Police said the vehicle that brought them to the hospital left before officers arrived. One of the men died from his injuries. The second was listed in critical but stable condition. Authorities had not publicly released either man’s name as of Sunday.
Investigators determined that the shooting may have occurred on Scanlan Avenue, police said. Officers searching the area found a vehicle that appeared to have been broken into and rummaged through. Police said Kemper came out of a nearby residence, acknowledged that he had been involved in the incident and surrendered. Homicide detectives arrested him after an interview and presented the case to the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
Police said Kemper lived above Muser’s Pub and saw several people inside his vehicle before firing a gun. Authorities have not publicly detailed the full sequence of events, including where Kemper was standing when he fired, how many shots were discharged or whether either wounded man had a weapon. Police also have not said what, if anything, was taken from the vehicle.
The unanswered details could be important to Kemper’s self-defense claim. Joel Schwartz, a St. Louis criminal defense attorney who is not identified as Kemper’s lawyer, told First Alert 4 that Missouri law generally does not allow deadly force solely to protect property. He said the legal question could change if a person reasonably believed that he faced an immediate threat of serious harm.
Schwartz said investigators would likely examine whether Kemper fired from his apartment or went outside to confront the people near the vehicle. They would also consider whether anyone threatened Kemper or displayed a weapon. No verified public account has established that either wounded man pointed a gun at Kemper, and police have not announced evidence supporting such a claim.
First-degree murder under Missouri law requires prosecutors to prove that a defendant knowingly caused a death after deliberation. Kemper’s defense can challenge both the prosecution’s account of the shooting and whether the evidence supports that level of intent. The additional armed criminal action counts allege that a dangerous instrument or deadly weapon was used while other felonies were committed.
Residents had reported other vehicle break-ins in the neighborhood before the shooting. Lindenwood Park Neighborhood Association President Adam Rustige told First Alert 4 that a car break-in was reported in late June. A neighbor also said several vehicles, including Kemper’s, had previously been targeted during one night. Those earlier reports do not establish what happened during the July 16 shooting.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department later placed a Real Time Crime Center camera on the block, First Alert 4 reported. Police said the investigation into the events leading to the shooting remained active. Authorities had not announced Kemper’s next court date, released additional evidence or provided updated information about the surviving man’s condition.
Author note: Last updated July 19, 2026.