Incident Overview
On Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25, 2025, shortly before 2:20 p.m., officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot of a BP gas station located at 4300 South Kingshighway Boulevard, near Winona Avenue in the Tower Grove South neighborhood of south St. Louis.
The victim, 68-year-old Albert Willis, was found with multiple gunshot wounds to his arm, leg, and lower body. According to police reports, the incident began when Willis spoke to a woman who was exiting the gas station. A confrontation then developed with another man, and the altercation escalated into an exchange of gunfire near the front of the business.
Willis was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, where he was later pronounced deceased. His burgundy vehicle, which had been parked near the entrance, was towed from the scene by authorities as part of the investigation.
The shooting occurred on a holiday afternoon when the gas station would typically see elevated traffic from local residents and travelers. This marks another instance of fatal violence at a St. Louis-area fuel station, raising questions about security measures at such establishments.
Remembering Albert Willis
Albert Willis, 68, was described by loved ones as a well-known community car salesman who was dedicated to his work. His former employer, Danielle Windmueller, said Willis had been loyal to her through many business endeavors over the years.
Willis' sister, Scheron Courson, said the last conversation she had with her brother was filled with holiday cheer. He had called on Christmas Day to invite her for dinner—a meal that would never come.
The tragedy was compounded by an earlier loss for the family: Willis' granddaughter, 29-year-old Trinity Staten, had died in October 2025 after being allegedly shot by her boyfriend while getting into a rideshare vehicle. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support the Willis family.
Active Homicide Investigation - Suspects Sought
The SLMPD Homicide Division is actively investigating this case. Police are seeking two persons of interest: one male and one female. Surveillance footage from the gas station captured at least part of the incident, and images have been released to the public.
The wanted woman is described as a Black female between 27 and 30 years old, of medium build, approximately 5'2" to 5'4", with a light complexion and long black hair.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the SLMPD Homicide Division or CrimeStoppers. A reward of several thousand dollars is available for tips leading to a felony arrest.
Location & Context
The BP gas station is located at 4300 South Kingshighway Boulevard, just south of the intersection with Chippewa Street, in the Tower Grove South neighborhood of south St. Louis. South Kingshighway is a major arterial road that sees significant daily traffic from local residents and commuters.
A long-time customer of approximately 15-20 years described the location as being in a "wonderful neighborhood" with generally good management, though occasional shoplifting was noted. The forecourt and front doors open directly to the parking area and fuel pumps, a layout consistent with many urban gas stations.
"This can't happen to anyone else."
Willis family member, following the Christmas Day tragedy
Christmas Day Context
Multiple St. Louis Shootings: This was one of two Christmas Day shooting deaths reported in the St. Louis area, highlighting ongoing violence concerns in the region.
Rapid Escalation: Witnesses reported the incident began as a verbal interaction and quickly escalated to an exchange of gunfire near the front entrance of the business.
Gas Station Security Standards
Gas stations and convenience stores face particular security challenges due to factors such as cash handling, extended operating hours, open access to parking areas, and high volumes of transient customers. Industry security experts and law enforcement agencies have identified several measures commonly recommended for these establishments:
Surveillance Systems
Security cameras should be strategically placed at entrances, exits, cash registers, fuel pumps, and parking areas. High-quality recording with remote monitoring capabilities and retention of footage for a minimum of 30 days is recommended.
Adequate Lighting
Well-lit premises both inside and outside, including the fuel forecourt and all parking areas, serve as both a deterrent and a means of natural surveillance, helping staff and cameras clearly see activity.
Clear Sightlines
Store layout and window signage should be designed to give employees clear visibility of the parking lot, fuel pumps, and entrance areas to monitor customer behavior and recognize potential threats early.
Panic Buttons & Emergency Response
Silent alarm systems that allow employees to discreetly alert authorities during emergencies, along with clear protocols for when and how to contact 911 at the first signs of escalating conflict.
Staffing Levels
Having multiple employees on duty, particularly during high-traffic periods and holidays, provides additional monitoring capability and can serve as a deterrent to criminal activity.
Conflict Management Training
Training employees to recognize signs of escalating disputes, de-escalation techniques, and clear protocols for contacting authorities when verbal confrontations occur on the premises.
Potential Negligent Security Considerations
Under Missouri law, property owners must keep their premises in reasonably safe and secure conditions. When evaluating negligent security claims, courts examine whether the property owner knew or should have known about security risks and whether reasonable measures were implemented to address foreseeable dangers.
Several factors may warrant examination regarding this incident:
1 Monitoring and Response
Whether the gas station had reasonable measures to monitor and respond to disputes between customers in the parking lot, especially on a holiday afternoon when traffic and patron volume may be elevated.
2 Foreseeability of Violence
Whether any prior calls for service, disturbances, or property-crime issues at this site or similar nearby stations suggested a foreseeable risk of armed confrontations. SLMPD call-for-service data and internal incident records would be relevant to this analysis.
3 Surveillance Design & Coverage
Whether camera coverage and staffing patterns were designed to give employees clear visibility of the area where the verbal interaction began. The gas station did have surveillance cameras that captured at least part of the incident, enabling police to release images of the suspects.
4 Speed of Emergency Response
How quickly staff recognized the escalation and whether 911 was called at the earliest signs of a heated confrontation. The incident reportedly escalated from a verbal interaction to gunfire, raising questions about intervention opportunities.
5 Physical Layout & Design
Whether signage, lighting, and layout influenced blind spots or congregation points near the entrance and pumps. The forecourt and front doors reportedly open directly to the parking area, a common urban gas station configuration that may present security challenges.
6 Policies and Training
Review of the full surveillance video, any store policies on loitering and managing disputes in the parking lot, and employee training records to assess what procedures existed on paper and how they were applied in practice.
Missouri Premises Liability Law
Missouri's Business Premises Safety Act establishes that businesses have no duty to guard against criminal acts unless they know or have reason to know such acts are being committed or are reasonably likely to be committed on the premises. The statute also provides an affirmative defense where a business has "implemented reasonable security measures." Whether this defense would apply requires examination of the specific security measures in place, prior incident history at this location, and SLMPD call-for-service records that could establish what level of security would be considered reasonable for a gas station in this area.