A routine afternoon grocery run in Jennings turned chaotic on Wednesday when a security guard shot and wounded an armed man who had chased another person into an Aldi store, according to police. Investigators say the guard returned fire after the man opened fire inside the store's vestibule, then watched as the wounded suspect fled the scene seeking medical help. Officers later arrested the man at a hospital where he went for treatment.
St. Louis County police identified the suspect as Avante T. Taylor. According to investigators, the confrontation started when Taylor chased someone into the Aldi at Lucas & Hunt Road and then fired at a security guard stationed in the vestibule. Police say the guard fired back, hitting Taylor in the right shoulder. Taylor then ran to Barnes‑Jewish Hospital for treatment, where he was taken into custody, according to a probable cause statement from the St. Louis County Police Department reviewed by FOX2.
Charges and court dates
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has charged Taylor with first‑degree assault and armed criminal action, the office says, per FOX2. Court records show he is being held on a $100,000 cash‑only bond. A bond‑reduction hearing is scheduled for June 10, with a preliminary hearing set for July 6.
Scene, hospital and custody
The shooting unfolded at the Aldi on Lucas & Hunt Road in Jennings; the store lists its address as 8445 Lucas & Hunt Road on ALDI. Barnes‑Jewish Hospital lists its main campus as One Barnes‑Jewish Hospital Plaza in St. Louis and is where police say Taylor showed up for medical care before being taken into custody. Investigators continue to review the circumstances of the confrontation as the county's criminal case moves forward.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the split‑second decisions security officers face when bullets start flying in public spaces, and the legal scrutiny that follows any use of force. As the case plays out in St. Louis County courts, prosecutors and investigators are expected to lean on video footage, witness statements and medical records to sort out what happened inside that grocery store vestibule.
