Investigation into Southeast student's shooting yields two arrests

The investigation into the shooting death of a Southeast Missouri State University student has yielded two arrests, Illinois law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

It was not clear how or even whether the arrests were connected to the slaying of 19-year-old Southeast sophomore Bobby Christman during an attempted armed robbery early Jan. 11 in St. Louis.

Aza K. Thompson, 18, and Tony Ross, 19, both of East St. Louis, Illinois, were arrested during the investigation into the shooting, St. Clair County, Illinois, State's Attorney Brendan Kelly said.

"Metro-east law enforcement has been working with law enforcement from Missouri on that investigation, and these charges arose out of that ongoing investigation," Kelly said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

In an email message Tuesday to the Southeast Missourian, St. Louis police spokeswoman Schron Jackson said no arrests had been made in connection with Christman's death, which remains under investigation.

Less than 24 hours after the fatal shooting, St. Louis police officers were in Washington Park, Illinois, when they saw a stolen vehicle -- described in the charges against Ross as a silver Sebring -- and pursued it down an alley.

Three people jumped out of the car, exchanged gunfire with police and fled, said Illinois State Police Capt. Jim Morrisey.

The vehicle had been carjacked in St. Louis a couple of days earlier, Morrisey said.

"The two that were charged, they were charged with crimes that occurred in Illinois, and one of the things they are charged with is shooting at a St. Louis city police officer working in Illinois," he said.

Police arrested Thompson on Jan. 13 after he drove a stolen vehicle onto the East St. Louis Senior High School parking lot, Morrisey said, and Ross turned himself in to police Friday night.

The Belleville, Illinois, News-Democrat on Tuesday quoted East St. Louis Police Chief Michael Floore as saying Thompson was wanted when police were sent to East St. Louis Senior High School to arrest him.

Ross, who is accused of shooting at a police car and at officer Brian McGlynn, was charged with attempted first-degree murder; aggravated discharge of a firearm; attempted aggravated battery; aggravated possession of a stolen motor vehicle; and possession of a stolen motor vehicle in connection with the Jan. 11 police pursuit in Washington Park.

After his arrest Jan. 13, Thompson was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver; armed violence; possession of a stolen Honda CR-V; and four counts of unlawful use of a weapon on school property.

Kelly and Morrisey hesitated to connect Ross or Thompson directly to Christman's death.

"We're trying to steer clear of that. ... That's really not our case, so we don't want to get in the middle of their stuff," Morrisey said.

He described Thompson and Ross as "associates."

"We just know that he associates with Ross, and when he came on the parking lot, they ran the vehicle, and it was stolen," Morrisey said of Thompson.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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