A dispute over noise in House Springs, Missouri, culminated in a deadly confrontation when a neighbor fatally shot a mother and her teenage daughter before dying by suicide, authorities reported.
Robert Winkelman, 73, approached his neighbor Jessica Lashly, 38, at her home on July 25 to complain about unspecified issues, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office stated. During the confrontation, Winkelman produced a firearm and shot Lashly in the head. When Lashly's 17-year-old daughter, Jersey Greer, attempted to intervene, Winkelman also shot her in the head, according to the sheriff's office.
Both Lashly and Greer sustained fatal injuries and later died at a local hospital. A third individual present at the scene was pursued by Winkelman, who was armed, but was not shot.
Deputies responded to Winkelman's residence to apprehend him, at which point he turned the weapon on himself. He died from his self-inflicted gunshot wound on August 2 at a local hospital. Investigators indicated that if he had survived, he would have been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of armed criminal action.
According to investigators, Winkelman had "ongoing frustrations" with activities at Lashly's home, and the sheriff's office characterized the event as a "dispute between neighbors."
Jersey Greer's twin sister, Justice, described Jersey as a humorous and supportive person who was trying to protect their mother in her final moments. Justice Greer stated that Lashly was a single mother who worked to provide for her daughters. "It was always just us three," Justice said, referencing her mother and twin sister. "It's going to be really hard because that's all I'm used to."
Abby Feldmann, who coached lacrosse for both sisters, recalled Jersey as someone who could "change your whole perspective on life" and noted that "everyone is behind her."