ST. LOUIS, MO  (November 3, 2025) — Daron Lontrell Nelson, 26, received an 18-year prison sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections for a March 14, 2024, shooting that seriously injured a 62-year-old man outside a children’s daycare in Downtown West.

A jury convicted Nelson on August 27, 2025, of first-degree assault of a special victim (a victim 60 years old or older), unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action.

Nelson drove a white Hyundai Sonata that pulled alongside the victim’s vehicle near 23rd and Washington Avenue. A masked passenger leaned out of the window and fired multiple shots, striking the victim in the upper back and damaging his vehicle. Emergency responders transported the victim to a hospital, where he survived.

The shooting happened on a city street outside a daycare during operating hours while children were inside. Surveillance video from the daycare captured the vehicle fleeing. Police used real-time crime cameras to track the Hyundai and arrested Nelson later that night. Nelson admitted during a recorded interview that he drove during the shooting. Officers also recovered a .40-caliber Glock pistol from the vehicle.

“This intentional act of gun violence endangered not only the victim but also innocent children nearby,” said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “The use of firearms to settle disputes has devastating consequences in our community, and this sentence reflects our commitment to holding violent offenders accountable and protecting public safety in every neighborhood.”

Assistant Circuit Attorneys Grant Simon, John Edwards, and Kate Cogan prosecuted the case.

The defendant’s case number is 2422-CR00756-01.