Kansas City man’s brother baffled by St. Louis area shooting spree

The brother of a Kansas City man charged in a St. Louis area shooting spree can’t explain what triggered the rampage.

All Damon House knows is that it was out of character for his younger brother, Reginald D. Adams, 22. Although Adams struggled with mental health problems, his previous criminal record had nothing more serious on it than marijuana charges.

“I don’t know what made him snap,” House said.

Officers arrested Adams on Wednesday night in St. Louis County after a police chase prompted by reports of multiple vehicles being shot at along Interstate 70 in Warren and St. Louis counties.

Two people were wounded in the spree, including one woman who was reported to be in critical condition.

Prosecutors in Warren and St. Louis counties on Thursday filed a total of 21 charges against Adams, including allegations that he fired shots at police officers before his arrest.

House said Friday that his brother had never acted out violently. He said his brother had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder, for which he was supposed to be taking medication.

House also said that Adams had been profoundly affected by the death of their mother, Karen House-Long, in a 2012 Kansas City traffic crash.

Adams told police after his arrest that he had been upset by a dispute with an ex-girlfriend, but House said he has talked to the woman and she said she hadn’t seen him before the incident. Adams and the woman have a son together, he said.

House, who lives in Kansas City, said the family is originally from St. Louis and has relatives there, but he didn’t know why his brother had gone there.

According to court documents filed in Warren County, numerous motorists told police that they were driving east on I-70 when the driver of a white Dodge Charger pulled up alongside them and fired shots into their vehicles. One man was hit.

The police pursuit began there and eventually went into St. Louis County. According to court documents filed in St. Louis County, Adams allegedly swerved his car toward one officer who was attempting to put down stop sticks to disable the vehicle.

He allegedly shot at another officer before wrecking his car. He fled on foot, firing at and wounding the woman, according to the documents. He continued to fire at officers until he ran out of ammunition and gave up, according to the documents.

After his arrest, Adams told police that he was sorry for what he had done, according to the Warren County court documents.

Adams is being held in the St. Louis County Jail.

This story was originally published March 27, 2015 at 10:40 AM.