Shooting in grocery store parking lot leaves one dead and wounds teen working his first job

A Missouri man has been charged over a fatal shooting outside a Missouri grocery store that left a woman dead and a teenage employee injured, an incident authorities described as the town’s first homicide in nearly two decades.

Allen Prince, 27, of Pleasant Hill, faces charges of first-degree murder, three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of first-degree assault, according to local officials.

Investigators identified the woman who was killed as Amy Coon, 45, of Strasburg, Missouri. She was shot Monday afternoon in the parking lot of the Price Chopper grocery store.

“Amy’s not just a victim,” Pleasant Hill Police Chief Tommy Wright told KCTV. “She was a daughter. She was a mother. She was a grandmother, and she was somebody who cared deeply for her family, and her family cared deeply for her.”

The 16-year-old boy, who began working at the Price Chopper in March, was also shot during the incident and is currently in stable condition at a local hospital.

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“This was his first job,” the teenager’s mother told the outlet. “He just started working there in March. I’m hoping that it’s not going to traumatize him from wanting to go back to work.”

Prince remains in critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit of a local hospital after turning the gun on himself, Wright said. Because Prince is sedated, police have been unable to interview him.

“He is sedated, so we’ve not been able to get a statement from him yet,” Wright said.

Two armed citizens intervened shortly after the gunfire began, a move Wright said may have prevented further bloodshed. The two men, whom the police declined to identify, approached Prince before he turned the gun on himself, Wright said.

“I do want to tell you that this is a good town,” Wright added. “It’s a safe town, and because we have people who are brave and courageous who are willing to get into danger and protect innocent lives, I’m thankful for that.”

Police have not established a motive for the shooting, and investigators found no initial connection between Prince and the victims. Wright said the shooting appeared to be random.

“This is an isolated incident,” Wright said. “The people who live in Pleasant Hill are good people. They’re solid people that care deeply about each other and their community, so this is a very, very isolated incident.”

At the time of the shooting, Prince was out on bond for an outstanding misdemeanor charge in Cass County stemming from a domestic situation, Wright said.

Price Chopper released a statement confirming the shooting took place in the store’s parking lot.

“This is a heartbreaking day for everyone involved and their loved ones,” the statement read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this incredibly difficult time.”