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Carjacker shoots and kills St. Louis firefighter

Leonard Riggins
(UPI file photo, Bill Greenblatt)
Leonard Riggins

By Rachel Lippmann, KWMU

St. Louis, MO – St. Louis police say they do not have a motive for a series of North County carjackings that left a St. Louis City firefighter and the suspect dead.

Officials say 52-year-old Leonard Riggins was off-duty Wednesday evening when he stopped to help what he thought were the victims of a car accident. But a carjacker, who police say may have attempted four carjackings in a matter of minutes, had wrecked the vehicle. The suspect who has been identified as Christopher Brandon, 19 of St. Louis, shot and killed Riggins, then stole the firefighter's car, eventually wrecking that as well.

St. Louis County police shot and killed Brandon after he fired at them.

suspect Christopher Brandon

On his blog, Mayor Francis Slay called Riggins's death a "stupid act of violence." Slay has ordered flags in the city to fly at half-staff.

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