Police installed a crime camera near the scene after one teenager was killed and another was critically injured.
ST. LOUIS — A deadly shooting tied by police to an apparent vehicle break-in has shaken Lindenwood Park, a neighborhood where residents say gun violence is uncommon but recent reports of cars being entered have raised concern.
Police said one 19-year-old man died and another was critically injured after they were shot early July 16 near the 6500 block of Scanlan Avenue. Timothy Kemper, 39, was later charged with first-degree murder and six other counts after investigators said he admitted being involved and surrendered.
The case has drawn attention both to the criminal allegations against Kemper and to public safety concerns in the southwest St. Louis neighborhood. Police placed a crime camera on the block after the shooting as detectives continued investigating the circumstances that led to the gunfire.
Officers first learned of the shooting shortly before 4:30 a.m., when the two wounded men were dropped off at a hospital. Police said the vehicle that transported them left the hospital. One man died, while the second was reported in critical but stable condition.
A preliminary investigation led officers to Scanlan Avenue, where they found a vehicle that had been broken into and rummaged through, police said. Authorities allege that Kemper saw people inside the parked car and fired at them. Police have not publicly identified the man who died.
Kemper lived on the second floor of Muser’s Pub, near the scene, according to police. Investigators said he came out of a residence while officers were examining the area, acknowledged his involvement and surrendered. Detectives arrested him after an interview and presented the case to the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors charged Kemper with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and three counts of armed criminal action. Court documents show that his defense has argued the shooting was justified as self-defense. Kemper is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
Several important details remain unclear. Police have not said whether the people near the car were armed, whether anyone threatened Kemper or from where he allegedly fired. Those facts could become central to how prosecutors and the defense describe the encounter in court.
Adam Rustige, president of the Lindenwood Park Neighborhood Association, tracks crime reports in the area. He said a vehicle break-in had been reported in late June. Another resident said several cars were entered during one night, including Kemper’s vehicle, according to First Alert 4.
Those reports provide context for neighborhood concerns but do not establish what happened before the shooting. Under Missouri law, deadly force generally cannot be used only to protect property. A self-defense claim can depend on whether a person reasonably believed that deadly force was needed to prevent an immediate threat of serious harm.
Criminal defense attorney Joel Schwartz, who was not identified as representing Kemper, said the location of the shooter could also matter. He said the legal analysis may differ depending on whether a resident fired from inside a home or went outside to confront people near a vehicle.
Homicide detectives continue to investigate the events leading to the shooting. The newly installed police camera adds surveillance to the block while Kemper’s case moves through St. Louis Circuit Court and authorities work to resolve the remaining questions.
Author note: Last updated July 19, 2026.