A man from Missouri has been arrested after assaulting another man in a grocery store, following a xenophobic tirade. The incident occurred at a Diebergs market on Olive Boulevard in St. Louis County, around 6 p.m. on Friday. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a fight and found the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Shawn Singer, at the scene.
Singer was taken into custody without further incident. Initially, he refused to provide a statement but later began to express his frustrations about foreigners. He claimed that they were responsible for the rising cost of living and accused them of taking jobs away from Americans. He also made a bizarre statement about planning to go to China to “take them down” because of their alleged involvement in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The victim of the assault told the police that he was shopping when Singer approached him. According to the victim, Singer mumbled something unintelligible as he passed by. When the victim asked Singer to repeat himself, Singer responded with a xenophobic slur and instructed the victim to return to his country. The victim inquired why Singer was behaving aggressively towards him, which led to Singer physically assaulting him.
The victim fell to the ground while trying to dodge Singer’s punches, but Singer continued to strike him in the face and upper body. A bystander attempted to intervene but was unable to pull Singer away. The assault ended when someone alerted Singer that the police were on their way.
Singer showed no remorse when speaking with the police. He continued to express his xenophobic views, blaming foreigners for taking jobs, particularly in the construction industry. He also accused the police of not understanding his perspective.
Singer was transported to the St. Louis County Jail and charged with fourth-degree assault motivated by discrimination, a felony. As of Monday afternoon, it was unclear whether Singer was still in custody.