Texas couple charged in fatal shooting of Missouri teen on highway

A Texas couple has been charged in connection with the shooting death of a 17-year-old Missouri high school student, Alyssa Wilson, who was driving to the St. Louis Zoo for Halloween festivities, NBC News reported. Wilson was shot while traveling on Interstate 170 and had no known connection to the suspects.

Willie Herndon, 42, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, while his wife, Taiya Herndon, was charged with hindering prosecution for allegedly driving her husband to a hotel in Illinois shortly after the incident, according to NBC News and ABC News.

Authorities said Wilson was driving southbound when a suspect fired at least one round into the rear of her vehicle, causing her to lose control and crash into a concrete median wall. She was taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital where she was pronounced dead, ABC News reported.

Surveillance footage showed a white Buick Enclave pulled over on the shoulder of the highway near the shooting site, as stated by St. Louis County officials. Investigators have not disclosed a motive, and there is no known relationship between the couple and Wilson, according to the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis.

Wilson's father described her as a young woman excited about her future, noting she was days away from turning 18 and had plans for a family vacation. The charges against the couple were announced by the St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office, with no immediate information on their legal representation.