A Missouri man, aged 61, was apprehended by authorities on Tuesday following the fatal shooting of his 26-year-old son on Christmas Eve. Harold Luster is facing charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the death of his son, Kevin M. Ward, as announced by law enforcement officials.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported that the deadly incident occurred around 8:55 p.m. on December 24, 2024, at a residence located in the 6400 block of Highway PP in High Ridge, approximately 25 miles southwest of St. Louis.
Investigators believe that a disagreement between Luster and Ward escalated when Luster retrieved a firearm from the residence and threatened another individual before allegedly shooting his son. The specifics of the incident have not been disclosed by authorities, but following the shooting, Luster was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Jefferson County Jail on a no-bond warrant.
Additional information about the circumstances leading to Ward’s death was provided in a probable cause affidavit obtained by the Sun Herald. According to the document, Ward and his fiancee were visiting Luster from St. Louis. During the visit, an argument ensued between Luster and Ward’s fiancee over Luster’s suspicion that his wife, who is also Ward’s mother, was having an affair. Luster believed that Ward’s fiancee was aware of the alleged infidelity and accused her of withholding information.
The affidavit further detailed that during the argument, Luster allegedly threatened Ward’s fiancee with the question, “Do you want to get shot?” Following this, Luster left the room, prompting Ward to instruct his fiancee to fetch a knife and flee the residence, advising her to call 911 if anything happened between him and his father.
Ward’s fiancee reported to investigators that she heard Ward attempting to pacify his father as she was leaving. She recounted hearing Luster ask his son, “You want to get shot instead?” before witnessing Luster fire a single shot that struck Ward in the forehead, causing him to collapse immediately.
Police have also obtained footage from a neighbor’s security camera, which reportedly shows Luster raising his gun before a flash is seen and Ward falls.