A south St. Louis gas station shooting that left a woman permanently paralyzed has now put the gunman behind bars for 16 years. On Thursday, a judge sentenced 42-year-old Larry Buchanan after a jury convicted him of first-degree assault for the 2024 attack, in which prosecutors say he shot a 32-year-old woman in the back on April 13, 2024, in the 4300 block of South Broadway.
According to First Alert 4, the shooting happened outside a gas station, turning an otherwise routine stop into a crime scene that would change the victim's life forever. Prosecutors said Buchanan's conviction for first-degree assault cleared the way for the 16-year prison term imposed Thursday.
"The woman who was shot will live with the consequences of this violence for the rest of her life," Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore wrote in a press release, adding that his office will "prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law," as reported by First Alert 4. Prosecutors also pointed to Buchanan's prior felony record as they announced the sentence.
Prior Convictions And Sentence Details
Prosecutors said Buchanan has previous convictions that include first-degree assault, second-degree burglary and felony possession of a firearm. Those prior cases were highlighted by the Circuit Attorney's office in its summary of the prosecution, underscoring Buchanan's history as they detailed how the 16-year sentence followed the latest first-degree assault conviction.
Victim Impact And Next Steps
The victim's name has not been released, but prosecutors described her injuries as permanent and life-changing. The Circuit Attorney's office framed the 16-year sentence as part of a broader push to hold people accountable for gun violence in the city and reiterated that this case was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
