A Missouri man faces charges after allegedly shooting his neighbor in a deadly altercation that capped off a prolonged period of tension between the two.
According to a probable cause affidavit, 42-year-old Jeffrey King is accused of shooting Chris Wells, 41, a total of 13 times outside their homes. King reportedly claimed self-defense, alleging that Wells had struck him first.
Upon their arrival, law enforcement discovered King with his hands raised and Wells lying on the pavement. When officers questioned King about the incident, he reportedly stated, “He attacked me. Punched me in the face, and I shot him dead.”
Two young witnesses recounted to the police that they had observed the confrontation from within a vehicle. They described seeing King standing over Wells, who was facedown on the ground.
The affidavit notes that both juveniles reported witnessing King shooting Wells in the back while he lay on the street.
“The juvenile witnesses each stated they observed King shoot the victim in the back as the victim was lying face down on the ground,” the document says.
Wells’ wife told police that King had a history of harassing neighbors that began before they moved into the neighborhood in 2023 and that the harassment had been documented by both the homeowner’s association and law enforcement. The incident that ended with Wells’ death on Monday began when the wife was out walking her dog when she saw King throw a blanket onto her front yard. She went inside and called her husband at work, and he came home to confront King.
The two met in the street, she said, and a physical altercation began that ended with multiple gunshots. The wife did not see the shooting but came out and saw Wells lying in the street.
The affidavit concludes with the statement that “King has been involved in a long running series of confrontations with his neighbors which have over time only escalated in severity.”
Neighbors came to court on Wednesday, when King pleaded not guilty to murder and armed criminal action, KCTV said.
“I’m sickened,” Courtney Brown said. “I was just intently focused on him. Looking at him and just trying to think how could someone be so vain.”
Wells, she said, “was a very good guy.”
“He didn’t deserve to be the one to get gunned down like that,” Brown said. “I just hope that justice is served, and he gets what he deserves.”
King was ordered held on a $5 million bond with a hearing set for next Tuesday.
