Background: News footage of the scene where Chazz Toney was found dead on Oct. 10, 2025 (KBJR). Inset: Branden King (St. Louis County Jail).
King was taken into custody on January 8 in relation to the deadly shooting of Chazz Toney, 35, whose body was discovered in Duluth shortly after midnight on October 10, 2025. Authorities allege that King was responsible for Toney’s death and had also mistakenly shot another person the prior day. Officials from the police department and the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office confirm that the initial victim was not King’s intended target.
Court documents, as reported by local Fox affiliate KQDS, reveal that Duluth police cited witnesses who overheard King admitting to shooting the “wrong guy” on October 9, 2025. The documents further elaborate that King was actively seeking out Toney, known by the nickname “Cash,” after the accidental shooting. Witnesses reported that King expressed his intention to “find Cash” following the mishap.
Later, on the night of the alleged homicide, witnesses reportedly heard gunfire and saw King standing over Toney’s lifeless body. Police investigations have also confirmed that surveillance footage placed King near the scene where Toney was found.
The St. Louis County Attorney described Toney’s death as an “execution,” noting the chilling details that he was shot in the head while still holding a cigarette, with his keys and phone remaining in his hands.
The St. Louis County Attorney said Toney was “executed,” adding that he was “shot in the head with a cigarette still in his mouth and keys and phone still in his hands.”
The alleged “wrong” victim was shot in the chest, but survived. Police said forensic analysis showed that the same gun was used to shoot the unidentified victim and Toney.
King was charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and second-degree murder. He is currently being held at the St. Louis County Jail without bond.
