Kilwa C. Jones, the ex-con who shot a Cardinals fan leaving Busch Stadium in September 2015, leaving him paralyzed, is going back to prison for a long, long time.
Jones was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for shooting Christopher Sanna, who had attended the game in downtown St. Louis to celebrate his mother's 60th birthday. Sanna and his girlfriend were walking back to their cars when Jones robbed them — and then shot Sanna with his semi-automatic even after the couple turned over the items he demanded.
Jones, 32, pleaded guilty in July.
The chilling crime left St. Louis reeling and had police calling in the FBI for assistance. But when they found Jones, he was already in custody — county police had unwittingly arrested him the day before, after he beat and terrorized his girlfriend. He held the police at bay for more than two hours before being taken into custody, as the RFT reported at the time. Only later did they realized Jones matched the description of the pint-sized gunman who'd shot Sanna near the Gateway Arch.
The bullet from Jones' gun shattered two vertebrae in Sanna's thoracic spine and punctured his lung and liver. The military veteran finally left the hospital in January, returning to a house that had been retrofitted to accommodate his injuries by the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Because the shooting, which happened just in front of the Old Cathedral on Walnut Street, technically took place on Arch grounds, the charges were handled in federal court.
PHOTO BY DOYLE MURPHY
Christopher Sanna
We welcome tips and feedback. Email the author at [email protected]
