Man kills roommate he said wasn’t paying rent, Missouri cops say. ‘Pushed my buttons’

A Missouri man shot and killed his roommate before telling deputies, “He pushed my buttons,” authorities said.

After receiving a 911 call, deputies responded to a home in Bradleyville on Nov. 2, where they found a man with a gunshot wound, according to a probable cause statement from the Taney County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim, identified as 52-year-old Jon Lovelace, died after lifesaving measures were unsuccessful, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

Charles Tinker, an occupant of the home, was arrested at the scene, where a handgun was also found, the sheriff’s office said.

Tinker told deputies that he shot Lovelace during an argument in which Lovelace said he was going to kill him, the sheriff’s office said. He also said Lovelace was not paying his share of the rent or “additional costs of living.”

The next day, during an interview with investigators, Tinker said the situation with Lovelace had been escalating for some time, according to the probable cause statement. Tinker said Lovelace “pushed my buttons,” adding that he couldn’t take it anymore.

He drank four shots of whiskey before firing two shots at Lovelace, who he only intended to hit in the leg, he said, according to the sheriff’s office.

After shooting Lovelace, who a witness said was struck in the stomach, he didn’t check on him or provide aid, he said, according to the sheriff’s office.

Tinker has been charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of the weapon, the sheriff’s office said.

An attorney for Tinker could not immediately be reached for comment by McClatchy News.

Bradleyville is an unincorporated community about 215 miles southeast of Kansas City.

This story was originally published November 9, 2023 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Man kills roommate he said wasn’t paying rent, Missouri cops say. ‘Pushed my buttons’."