ST. LOUIS, MO (October 4, 2024) — Christopher L. Rainey, 48, pleaded guilty Friday to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Vincent Martin Sanders, 35, outside a gas station in the 2600 block of Chippewa Street in the city’s Marine Villa neighborhood on January 6, 2019. He accepted an offer from prosecutors of seven years in prison.

About 3:30 p.m. on the day of the shooting, two women in their early twenties encountered Rainey outside the gas station. According to statements the women made to police, Rainey had been staring at them and made them feel uncomfortable. They called a female relative for help, who then contacted two male relatives, Sanders and Herman Williams, 20.

Sanders and Williams drove to the gas station and confronted Rainey, which led to a heated verbal exchange. That quickly escalated into a physical fight between Sanders and Rainey, during which Sanders punched Rainey in the face at least once. Rainey drew a handgun and fired two shots at Sanders. After the initial shots were fired, Sanders began backing away, but Rainey followed him and shot a third time striking Sanders in the chest. Sanders was alive and conscious when police arrived at the scene but died a short time later at a local hospital.

After the shooting, Rainey walked to his residence a short distance away. On January 17, 2019, St. Louis Metropolitan Police detectives working with St. Louis County Police located Rainey’s car and found him at another residence where he was taken into custody. Police also found a backpack containing the handgun used in the shooting, as well as the clothing Rainey had been wearing during the altercation with Sanders.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Circuit Attorney Adam Field.

“The tensions fueling the interactions in this case could easily have been resolved before escalating from words to blows, to death,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “Unfortunately, guns don’t negotiate.” 

Rainey is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2024.

Rainey’s case number is 1922-CR00086-01.

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