ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis man who fatally shot three adults and critically injured a young child in June last year has been found guilty of murder.
Jerome Leon Buress Jr. was convicted Thursday of two counts of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree murder, one count of assault and four counts of armed criminal action.
Prosecutors say Buress walked up to a car and shot 24-year-old Jessica Garth and 27-year-old Derrick Irving in front of their daughters. He then fatally shot 37-year-old Julian Hayes as he tried to escape and shot 7-year-old Deniya Irving in the head. She survived but suffered brain damage. Her 5-year-old sister was not injured.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the younger girl, now 6, testified that Deniya laid over her to protect her from the bullets.
