Killers mistook shooting victim for someone else

ST. LOUIS -- A man who was fatally shot last week in St. Louis was the victim of mistaken identity, police said.

Police said Daniel Howard was killed Friday by men trying to retaliate for a shooting earlier that night.

Howard was wearing a red, hooded sweat shirt that day, similar to that worn by someone else who had fired a gun at the two men accused of killing Howard, officers said.

The men spotted Howard, 19, cruising about 1:30 a.m. in a southside neighborhood, unaware of the shots fired earlier. They chased Howard until he turned left onto a city street, crashing into a fence.

As Howard fled, he tripped and was shot in the head by one of the men in the Buick, a witness told police. Witness descriptions helped police arrest two men later Friday. Wilber Clark, 18, and Cleveland Tims, 20, were charged with murder.

Police Chief Joe Mokwa acknowledged the city's problem with retaliation shootings and said police have been trying to prevent them this year by intervening with those most likely to strike.

When an innocent victim is struck in the crossfire between groups retaliating against each other, "It's our worst nightmare," he said.