Man killed after vehicle shot at, crashes in Charleston
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
CHARLESTON, Mo., (KBSI) — Police are investigating a fatal shooting after a vehicle was fired upon and crashed late Friday in Charleston, authorities said.
Officers responded at about 10:30 p.m. Dec. 26, 2025, after receiving multiple reports of gunfire in the areas of South Locust and South Green streets. Responding officers located a vehicle that had crashed into a fence behind a residence in the 300 block of South Franklin Street.
Inside the vehicle, officers found a deceased male later identified as Tristen Mackins, 21, of Mounds, Illinois.
Investigators said preliminary information indicates the vehicle was traveling eastbound on West Cypress Street when one or more suspects began shooting at it as it passed. The driver lost control, left the roadway, struck a utility pole and then crashed into a fence.
Authorities believe the homicide may be connected to at least two recent incidents in Charleston, including a homicide reported Dec. 17, 2025, and a separate shooting earlier on Dec. 26 at about 1 a.m., when a residence was struck multiple times and two people were injured.
The Mississippi County Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are assisting with the investigation.
Anyone with information related to these incidents is asked to contact the Charleston Department of Public Safety at 573-683-3737.
