Man Admits Shooting Two During St. Louis Drug Deal Gone Wrong

ST. LOUIS - A man from Pine Lawn, Missouri on Friday admitted shooting two men during a fentanyl deal gone wrong.

Terrance McKinnies, 39, of Pine Lawn, pleaded guilty to one count of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. As part of his plea, he admitted directing a group of people to the area of Cass Avenue and Collins Avenue in St. Louis on Dec. 12, 2024, to sell them fentanyl. McKinnies had sold fentanyl to the same group once already that day and once a day or two earlier. McKinnies arrived at the meeting first. When the buyers arrived, one got into the passenger seat of McKinnies' car, a Chevrolet Cavalier. An armed man walked up, opened the passenger door and began to struggle with the buyer. The buyer pushed his assailant to the ground and began to run away. Both the assailant and McKinnies shot at the buyer. McKinnies continued to shoot after the group drove away. The buyer and one of the other passengers in that car were shot in the back and injured. In a later interview with law enforcement, McKinnies said he fired shots because the drug deal "went bad."

McKinnies is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13. Both the U.S. Attorney's office and McKinnies' lawyer have agreed to recommend 10 years in prison.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.