Malachi Brown

Terry Alexander, 69, of the 4100 block of Maffitt Avenue, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Police allege that Alexander shot Malachi Brown, 21, during an altercation on the train around 10 a.m. Saturday. Police said they were sitting across the aisle from each other. “During the argument, the defendant displayed a firearm and shot the victim multiple times,” St. Louis County Police said in a news release, referencing charging documents on file. “The victim subsequently displayed his own firearm and returned fire. A physical altercation ensued in which the defendant gained possession of both firearms.” Alexander was taken into custody at the next train stop, in Maplewood, by Bureau of Transit Police officers. Brown, of the 900 block of Bates Street, was taken to the hospital and died. St. Louis County Police said Alexander was being held Sunday on $200,000 cash bond. The shooting and subsequent investigation halted trains in the Maplewood area for roughly two hours. Passengers were transported via bus shuttles, causing delays of up to an hour.