Says ‘He Pushed My Buttons’
Charles Tinker had had enough of his roommate not paying his share of the rent at their home in Missouri, authorities allege. So the octogenarian downed four shots of whiskey and allegedly shot him dead, reportedly telling authorities later, “He pushed my buttons.” Tinker faces a second-degree murder charge in the killing of Jon Lovelace, 52, at their home in Bradleyville, an unincorporated community in southern Missouri.
Just after 7 p.m. on Nov. 2, the Taney County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting that a man had been shot. Once there, deputies found Lovelace suffering from a gunshot wound. He was declared dead before he could be flown by helicopter to a trauma center. Tinker was quickly identified as the shooter and was detained as investigators confiscated a 9mm Ruger handgun.
Tinker allegedly confirmed he shot Lovelace with a 9mm Ruger handgun, saying the victim told him he was going to kill him, so he went into his bedroom and retrieved a gun from the bedroom, authorities said in the affidavit. Tinker said he shot the victim from a combination of “fear of safety and being angry” and that he had consumed four shots of whiskey before the shooting.
✱ Tinker said Lovelace did not have any weapons.
According to a probable cause statement filed Monday at the Taney County courthouse, Tinker said that Lovelace threatened to kill him during their argument, so Tinker went to his room and grabbed a 9mm handgun. He reportedly fired two shots to scare off another man outside before firing two shots at Lovelace at their front door’s entryway.
After shooting Lovelace, according to deputies, Tinker did not render aid. He also faces charges of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.
Tinker stated he intended to shoot Lovelace in the leg and was not sure where he had shot him.
