In a tragic turn of events on a late Saturday evening, a man lost his life while reportedly defending a teenager. Randy Nicholus Turner, a 44-year-old male from Lathrop, Missouri, was fatally shot on June 24, 2023, at Spring Lake Beach in Clinton County. The incident, which shattered the peace of the recreational area, began with an altercation that ultimately cost Turner his life.
According to family members and law enforcement, the series of events that led to the fatal shooting began when Turner witnessed a man, later identified as 33-year-old Ammon Josiah Preston of Avondale, Missouri, in a confrontation with a 14-year-old. Witnesses stated that Preston had the teenager in a headlock, prompting Turner to intervene. In an attempt to de-escalate the situation and protect the youth, Turner stepped in, leading to a direct confrontation with Preston.
The verbal dispute quickly escalated to violence. Preston is reported to have retrieved a handgun and, in the ensuing struggle, struck Turner with the weapon. The impact caused the firearm to discharge, and a bullet struck Turner in the neck. Despite the immediate response of deputies from the Clinton County Sheriff's Office, along with Lathrop and Plattsburg police officers and Missouri State Highway Patrol Troopers, who arrived at the scene around 9:25 p.m., Randy Turner was pronounced dead at the scene.
Law enforcement swiftly located and arrested Ammon Preston at the scene. He was initially held on multiple outstanding felony warrants from Kansas. Following an investigation by Clinton County detectives and the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Drug and Crime Division, the Clinton County Prosecuting Attorney's Office filed multiple charges against Preston. These charges include second-degree murder, armed criminal action, second-degree assault, and third-degree assault. A bond was set at $500,000, cash only. As of late 2023, information regarding a trial or conviction in this case was not publicly available.
