A 34-year-old New Franklin man was arrested in Howard County on Saturday evening, Dec. 27, and faces a slew of felony charges, accused of shooting at the driver of a car in which he was the passenger in downtown Boonville, then stealing that car, before breaking into a home just outside New Franklin shortly thereafter.

According to a probable cause statement filed by the Boonville Police Department, Carl Aaron Landrum, III, was arrested at the Rosewood Subdivision north of New Franklin later that evening after authorities located the rented Nissan bearing out-of-state license plates abandoned and facing north in the southbound lane of Highway 5. Landrum was alleged to have stolen the car after firing at the driver on Main Street in downtown Boonville shortly after 6 p.m. that evening.

A witness told police he saw the car rocking violently. The driver then exited the vehicle, and the witness reported hearing a gunshot, then saw Landrum exit the passenger side of the car and enter the driver’s side before driving away.

The driver fled to the Boonville police station and told police someone was trying to kill him, and that he had been fired upon. He later identified Landrum from a photo.

A 911 call minutes later reported a man at the Rosewood Subdivision in southern Howard County breaking into a home.

When Howard County Sheriff’s deputies arrived, they questioned Landrum, who claimed he was running from someone who was trying to kill him. A canine unit later followed a track from the car to the house that was broken into. Deputies reported that Landrum’s clothing “was covered with sticktights and he was sweating profusely.”

Landrum reportedly claimed he had been inside the black Nissan, but that he was the victim.

A gunshot residue evidence collection kit was performed on both the original driver of the car and Landrum, to be sent to a laboratory for testing. Landrum’s clothing was also collected for gunshot residue, according to the statement.

Police later found a set of car keys believed to belong to Landrum after searching the Nissan. The probable cause statement did not mention whether the gun was found.

Landrum has an extensive criminal history that includes an array of violent offenses, including robbery and armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, tampering with physical evidence, resisting arrest, and driving while intoxicated. He remains in the Cooper County Jail on a $350,000 bond.

He faces charges of first-degree robbery, a Class A felony; three counts of Armed Criminal Action, an unclassified felony; first-degree vehicle hijacking involving a deadly weapon, a Class A felony; first-degree assault, a Class B felony; and unlawful possession of a firearm, a Class B felony.

If convicted, Landrum faces up to 30 years in prison for the Class A felonies, 15 years for Class B felonies, and 10 years each for the charges of armed criminal action. He was arraigned before Cooper County Judge Keith Michael Bail on Dec. 30 and was scheduled to return to court for a counsel status hearing on Tuesday after the Advertiser went to press.