On September 26, 2020, 34-year-old Victoria McBee was shot and killed on the 4400 block of Lexington Avenue in the Greater Ville neighborhood of St. Louis. The shooting followed a minor vehicle collision involving one of McBee’s relatives. A man not involved in the crash, identified as Deion A. Whalen of Riverview, arrived carrying a rifle and began making threats toward those at the scene.

McBee, who was reportedly armed, stepped in and attempted to calm the situation. Witnesses and court records indicate a physical interaction occurred between her and the man, after which he fired at point-blank range, striking McBee. Emergency responders were unable to save her; she died of her injuries and left behind children.

Whalen was identified as the primary suspect and was taken into custody; prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder and he asserted self-defense. What details from the collision and the moments leading up to the shooting might help clarify why a bystander armed with a rifle entered the scene?