Missouri teen's Lyft ride to shot, kill 2 siblings then flee leads to arrest: Police

A 19-year-old in St. Louis County, Missouri charged in the death of two siblings, took a Lyft to and from the victims' house, police say.

Lamarr Harris of Florissant, Missouri faces charges of murder second degree and armed criminal action in the deaths of Marc Rhodes, 19 and Lanija Cooper, 20, the St. Louis County Police Department said Monday.

Police said that they were alerted about a shooting in Midland, about 18 miles west of St. Louis, shortly before 9:40 a.m. Sunday. Officers arrived at the scene to find a man and a woman, later identified as brother and sister, suffering from gunshot injuries. They were pronounced deceased on scene, said the police.

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Suspect tried to leave crime scene the same way he came

An investigation into the incident revealed that Harris, who was previously involved in a romantic relationship with Cooper, suspected her of slashing his new girlfriend's car tires the previous evening. On Sunday morning, he took a Lyft to the victim's house in St. Louis County, where he had an altercation with Cooper's brother Marc. Police said that Marc punched Harris in the face, who took out his weapon in response, and shot him. The victim died as a result of the gunshot wound.

A spokesperson of the police said that the suspect tried to flee the scene in a ride-share vehicle but was quickly apprehended by responding officers, who took him into custody.

"Police saw him getting into a car and they thought it was weird. So, they pulled that car over and stopped the driver,” a neighbor told local outlet KDSK.

The firearm was also recovered from the scene of the shooting.

19-year-old charged, preliminary hearing set

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges against Harris on Monday. He is currently being held on $750,000 cash only, no 10% bond, police said. Harris is scheduled to appear in court on June 6 for his preliminary hearing, according to court documents.

The defendant also has a pending case in St. Louis County for possession of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance with a weapon, the complaint sheet filed against him said.

Lyft says its assisting authorities in investigation

Lyft, meanwhile, said that their hearts go out to the victims of "this unspeakable tragedy."

"Our hearts are with the victims' loved ones as they confront this unspeakable tragedy," Lyft said in a statement emailed to USA TODAY. "We have permanently removed the rider from the Lyft community and stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation."

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.