Republic’s McElroy held in Springfield shooting

A Republic man is facing felony charges related to a shooting that took place at Glendale High School in Springfield on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 28. Keyshawn Antwan McElroy, 20, is charged with first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action.

Initial investigation
According to the probable cause statement in the case, officers with the Springfield Police Department were called to the scene at Glendale High School on Jan. 28, where they found 23 .40-caliber shell casings on the ground between Ingram Mill and Liden Avenue on Sunset Street. They also found a tactical gunlight, along with McElroy’s driver’s license and Social Security card, nearby.
Officers also found an abandoned black Pontiac G6 near the school with 14 bullet holes in it, as well as blood in the front passenger’s seat. They also found $6,200 in counterfeit $100 bills in the car.
Shortly after officer’s found the car, a man identified as Victim One came into Mercy Hospital with a gunshot wound to his right arm. According to the probable cause statement, he had been transported to the hospital by his girlfriend in her Honda CRV.
Officers made a probable cause search of the CRV, where they allegedly found $1,000 in counterfeit bills, methamphetamine, a gallon-sized bag of marijuana and a black backpack containing an AR-15 pistol loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition.

Victim interview
Police were later contacted by Victim One’s girlfriend, who was identified as Victim Two. She identified herself as the driver of the Pontiac G6 and agreed to meet with police for an interview.
During the interview, Victim Two said she was friends with Victim One, and that he asked her for a ride to an apartment complex on Ingram Mill; she said she assumed it was to buy drugs as Victim One is a narcotics user.
Victim Two said that when they arrived, they pulled up next to a “shiny blue car,” and a black male approached them. Victim One, she said, counted out 12 bills and gave them to the man; he then threw a black backpack in the back of the vehicle.
After they left, Victim Two said, the blue car came racing alongside them. She turned left on Sunset Street, and the other car pulled up alongside them, and an occupant in the vehicle started shooting at them. Victim Two said the driver of the blue car tried to cut them off, and her car struck it on the back passenger side. She stopped, and then, she said, the other car stopped and two “young black males” exited the vehicle and started shooting at her car. The woman said she was able to reverse and turn her vehicle around and drive away; at that point, Victim One told her he was hit. The car had three flat tires, so they abandoned the car and ran. Victim Two said she called her father, who picked her up and then had her call the police.

McElroy investigated
After obtaining and reviewing several home surveillance videos in the area, the officer investigating the case discovered that McElroy drove a bright blue 2021 Nissan Versa, and that he lived in the basement of his girlfriend’s house in Republic. On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the officer requested the assistance of the Republic Police Department, and a Republic police officer found a counterfeit $100 bill in the trash outside of the house where McElroy was living, as well as a gunlight box, the picture on which matched the gunlight found at the scene of the shooting. Also, McElroy’s vehicle was observed to have damage to it consistent with the account provided by Victim Two. McElroy was taken into custody on Feb. 1 and transported to Springfield Police Headquarters for an interview.

McElroy admits to selling gun, claims Victim One shot at him first
During his interview, McElroy at first denied being involved in the incident and claimed to have been in St. Louis when it happened. Then the officer presented him with the evidence that had been found at his residence and he changed his story. The officer reported that McElroy said that he met Victim One during a gun show at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, where he said Victim One told him he was interested in buying a gun.
Several weeks later, McElroy said, he needed money, so he called Victim One and made a deal with him to sell him the AR-15 for $1,200. They met at the apartment complex on Ingram Mill, where Victim One handed him a pouch containing what appeared to be $100 bills, and then McElroy gave him the pistol. After Victim One drove off, McElroy said, he learned he’d been ripped off and Victim One had paid him with counterfeit money, after which he took off after him.
McElroy claimed he shouted at the vehicle Victim One was in, and at that point, the vehicle rammed his and Victim One shot at him, and that was when he shot back. He also said he sold his gun afterwards, but refused to say to whom.
The investigating officer reported that there was no bullet damage to McElroy’s vehicle, and that there was no evidence that Victim One had fired a weapon. He also said he believed, based on the rapid firing of the gunshots, that there were two shooters involved, but McElroy said he was alone and would not identify anyone else.
McElroy is next due in court on Monday, March 6, for a preliminary hearing. According to online court records, he is being held without bond pending his trial.