Suspect in 2003 shooting arrested

COLUMBIA — A suspect in a 2003 shooting in Columbia who had eluded authorities for nearly five years was arrested in St. Louis and transported to Boone County Jail on Thursday.

Lylbrum Jessie French, 48, was taken from the St. Louis County Jail to the Boone County Jail on a warrant for first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.

French is accused of firing five shots from a car at Tony Lee Jackson on March 13, 2003, according to the probable cause statement. One bullet struck Jackson near the eye, injuring but not killing him, and another bullet struck Jackson’s apartment. Jackson’s wife was inside the apartment.

Police heard gunshots and responded, but the shooter was gone before they arrived. Jackson picked French out of a photo lineup, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on March 18, 2003, said Major Tom Reddin of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.

French is being held on a $30,000 bail.