House Springs teenager arrested in mistaken highway sniper attack

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- Gunshots thought to be sniper fire aimed at highway motorists and police near St. Louis last weekend came from a drunken teenager who was shooting into the sky and at trees, police said.

Donald Christie, 19, of House Springs was charged Wednesday with felony unlawful use of a weapon in Jefferson County. Police said Christie was showing off at a house party and not firing at drivers along nearby Missouri 30 early Sunday.

"From what I understand, he was at a party and was a little intoxicated and wanted to show off for his friends," Byrnes Mill police Chief Ed Locke said.

The police department and Jefferson County deputies responded to a call before 1 a.m. Sunday that someone was shooting at cars from a bluff overlooking the highway. Authorities on the scene thought they were also being shot at for about two hours. They shut down the highway, but could not find the shooter. No one was injured.

A task force to investigate the shooting was created Monday with officials from area police and state and federal investigators, including the FBI. They looked for shell casings in the heavily wooded area where the shooter was believed to be firing from.

According to court documents, police recovered the weapon. Witnesses at the party said Christie fired into the air while a police helicopter investigated the shooting from above.

So far, Christie is the only person charged in the case, but police said more teens are being questioned and more arrests could be made. Christie was in custody on outstanding traffic warrants when he was called a "person of interest" on Monday.

"I'm very happy that there are charges against him, but I hope that we can get more charges through some more investigation," Locke said. "Whatever he was trying to do, we certainly didn't take it as a joke."