SIKESTON MEN FACE MURDER CHARGES

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Two Sikeston men were charged with first-degree murder Friday in the shooting death of a 22-year-old acquaintance after an argument, police said.

Antonio T. Flye, 22, and William M. Rogers, 22, were charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Reginald D. Sales, police Capt. Dan Armour said.

The shooting was reported at 11:38 a.m. Thursday in the 600 block of Cleveland Street opposite Hunter Lee Elementary School.

Flye told police that he had shot Sales after Sales had threatened him, detective Michael Williams stated in a probable cause affidavit.

"They had been in an argument mode for a little while," Armour said.

However, Flye told Williams that he was not shooting at Sales out of fear, and he knew Sales did not have a gun.

Rogers also told the detective that Flye had shot Sales. Flye had told Rogers to get the gun "so I can do this thing," the affidavit states. After Rogers retrieved the gun, he said he hid it by a telephone pole on Baker Lane.

After Flye got the gun, he fired three shots at Sales, with one projectile hitting him in the chest, Williams stated.

A group of five children were walking across the school's playground at the time of the shooting, said Steve Borgsmiller, Sikeston school superintendent. They were going to the nurse's office to take medication before lunch.

"The kids said they had heard something, and then looked and saw a man falling to the ground," Borgsmiller said.

They were more than the length of a football field away from the shooter, he said.

The children ran to the cafeteria, where they explained what they had seen to the nurse.

Principal Chuck Mayes was informed of the shooting, and after immediately going to the playground to make sure no other children were outside, he had the exterior doors of the school locked.

Sikeston schools have different plans that are used during emergencies, depending on their nature, Borgsmiller said. The principal did everything he was supposed to do, the superintendent said.

Police were later able to recover the weapon after Rogers explained where it was, Armour said.

During their investigation of the homicide, police obtained a search warrant for Roger's residence. They said they discovered an undetermined amount of illegal drugs and contraband. Two other persons were arrested at the residence. Their names were withheld pending criminal charges, police said.

Flye and Rogers are being held without bond at the Scott County jail in Benton, Mo.

Sales' homicide is the second in Sikeston in August. A 36-year-old woman was shot to death in her car on Aug. 5. Prior to last month, the last homicides in Sikeston occurred in 1998, Armour said.