ST. CHARLES (KTRS) A Winfield, Missouri, man is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in a shooting that injured a Francis Howell High School teacher who was jogging on a trail near his school. Police say the shooting appears to have been at random. Charges have been filed against Joshua Curtis, 35. He is jailed on $500,000 bond.
The 36-year-old teacher was jogging on a conservation trail in the Busch Wildlife area after school Wednesday when he crossed paths with a man who fired shots with a handgun. The teacher was struck once in the back and fell to his knees. The teacher told police when he looked back he saw the suspect pointing a handgun at him and then firing two more rounds. Police arrested Curtis Thursday during a manhunt in the area. They say he showed no emotion when he was arrested. In a tent found near the site of the shooting, investigators found an ammunition case and a receipt from a gun shop but they’ve found no weapon.
Family members told investigators Curtis owned a handgun several years ago. In a consent search, police also found a locked safe generally used for firearms in Curtis’ car.
A passer-by drove the teacher to hospital. He was treated and released.