Suspect in St. Louis teen’s fatal freeway shooting investigated in another roadway attack

Key Points:

• Willie Herndon, 42, from Arlington, Texas, is accused of fatally shooting 17-year-old Alyssa Wilson on Oct. 14 near St. Louis and is being investigated for a related shooting on Oct. 11 involving a similar spent shell casing.
• The Oct. 11 incident involved gunfire at a vehicle exiting Interstate 55 in St. Louis, with a white SUV seen fleeing the scene, matching the description of the vehicle linked to Herndon.
• Herndon faces federal charges of being a felon with a gun and state charges including first-degree murder and armed criminal action; his wife, Taiya Herndon, faces hindering prosecution for allegedly driving him after the shooting.
• Security footage shows Herndon firing at Alyssa’s vehicle from a white Buick Enclave on Interstate 170, striking her fatally, and authorities recovered a matching AR-15 rifle and ammunition from the Herndons’ hotel room.
• Both defendants have upcoming court hearings for pretrial detention and bail, with investigations ongoing to confirm ballistic links between the two shootings.