University City man shot at after someone tried to break into his car

By Shoshana Stahl

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    UNIVERSITY CITY, Missouri (KMOV) — A University City man is raising safety concerns after his surveillance camera caught someone breaking into his car and then shooting a gun at him.

Ra Wilkinson reflected on what happened to him last Wednesday, when he was enjoying a cup of coffee in his backyard before the sunrise.

“I noticed there was a car without any headlights on so just two yellow driving lights,” Wilkinson said. “It got my attention.”

Wilkinson told First Alert 4 he found it weird and it gave him the feeling to check his security cameras. He saw someone in his car shining a flashlight. As he started to walk to his front door, multiple gunshots were fired at him.

“They shot at a retired military member,” Wilkinson said. “They don’t care about nobody.”

Wilkinson thinks he was targeted for being a gun owner.

“Make no mistake, they were shooting at me,” Wilkinson said.

Nothing was taken and he wasn’t hit by the gunfire. But Wilkinson said his car was and is now in the shop being repaired.

“There are too many little ones around here for me to retaliate,” Wilkinson said. “Even though they shot at me, the lives of my neighbors are more important.”

Wilkinson said what makes him the angriest is the impact it’s had on the people who live around him.

“Nobody has been coming outside anymore because of this,” Wilkinson said.

Janina Towl has lived in University City for the last five years.

“I do have a dog but that’s not gonna stop a bullet,” Towl said.

Towl said the neighborhood is usually pretty quiet and peaceful.

“That is actually scary because I have a spa in back and I go in there all the time,” Towl said. “How safe is it?”

Towl said she does see police patrol the neighborhood occasionally but says a larger presence could prevent any more issues.

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