Springfield man charged in shooting in Lebanon, Missouri

LEBANON, Mo. (KY3) – A Springfield man was charged Sunday night in connection with a shooting investigation.

According to court documents, 53-year-old John Hilliard is charged with unlawful use of a weapon. An arrest warrant was issued against him.

According to the Laclede County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting occurred near an apartment in the 23000 block of Penner Lane in Lebanon.

When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered several shots had been fired in the area, one of which struck a 21-year-old woman in the hand. She was taken to hospital for treatment.

According to police, four people were in the apartment at the time of the shooting.

“Several shots were fired into the apartment from outside the apartment. There were four residents in the residence at the time of the shooting,” said Laclede County Sheriff David Millsap.

According to investigators, they were able to locate the car Hilliard was driving at the time. Authorities found the car on I-44 and stopped him. Hilliard was taken into custody.

According to court documents, Hilliard told investigators he was the getaway driver for two alleged shootings. Hilliard said the two men got out of his car and he drove off and waited for them. He drove back and the two got back in the car, one of them carrying a gun.

The two men told Hilliard to drive to Denny’s and change to another car parked there. The person driving the other car drove Hilliard back to Springfield.

Investigators searched Hilliard’s car, which was involved in the shooting. They noticed a pool of blood in the back seat, leading investigators to believe one of the suspects was injured in the shooting.

Investigators believe Hilliard may not appear in court in response to a summons because he was on parole in Arkansas. Investigators contacted Hilliard’s probation officer, who said he did not have permission to be in Missouri for some reason.

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