A 51-year-old Columbia hockey coach was critically injured in an attempted carjacking early Saturday morning that resulted in him being shot in the face.

Charges were field Monday in connection with the incident.

Police said that at about 2:30 a.m., Allen Lalk – working as an Uber driver – picked up two young Black male subjects in North St. Louis County.

After entering his 2023 Acura, one of the passengers produced a firearm and held Lalk at gunpoint. Police said the suspects initially desired to steal Lalk’s car but after realizing they could not drive a manual transmission vehicle, they demanded Lalk take them to his residence in Columbia. He instead drove to the Columbia Police Department parking lot at 1020 N. Main Street.

Realizing where they were, the passengers fled on foot toward the area of Bolm-Schuhkraft City Park, but not before discharging the firearm, striking Lalk in the face. An on-duty CPD dispatcher heard the gunshot and observed two suspects fleeing from the vehicle.

Columbia police and EMS personnel provided immediate on-scene medical aid to Lalk, who was transported to an area hospital. He is expected to survive, but lost an eye in the incident.

Meanwhile, the two subjects were seen following a search involving a K-9 unit and drone with a recently purchased CPD drone observing them exiting a wooded area at the park and entering a silver GMC SUV occupied by two females which police had observed driving slowly in the area.

“Our drone has already paid for itself, in my mind,” Columbia Police Chief Jason Donjon said, adding this was the first time the new drone was used in an arrest.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and Waterloo Police Department assisted in this search, which lasted about 45 minutes.

The vehicle was surrounded, and all four occupants were arrested. The two male passengers are believed to be the ones involved in the carjacking attempt, and the gun used to shoot Lalk was found.

Lalk, a father of five children, has served as head coach of the Columbia Eagles Hockey Club of the Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association the past few seasons.

The hockey club confirmed Lalk was the shooting victim in a Facebook post Sunday evening, sharing a link to a GoFundMe set up in support of his family.

“Showing incredible bravery and presence of mind, Allen made a split-second decision to drive to the police department in a desperate attempt to escape and get help,” the GoFundMe page states.

Charged in the case is Robert L. Fayne, 17, of East St. Louis. Per state statute, Fayne is being tried as an adult in connection with charges of attempted first degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.

Fayne is also charged with vehicular invasion, attempted aggravated vehicular hijacking, aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated kidnapping.

Fayne was denied pretrial release Monday and ordered to be taken into custody by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department for transfer to a juvenile detention facility.

Fayne is scheduled for a July 1 preliminary hearing in Monroe County Circuit Court.

Also charged is 20-year-old Kareem Weaver of Venice with vehicular invasion, attempted aggravated vehicular hijacking, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated kidnapping.

Weaver was also denied pretrial release following a hearing Monday afternoon. Weaver remains in custody at the Monroe County Jail in Waterloo.

According to Monroe County State’s Attorney Ryan Webb’s argument to deny pretrial release, the Columbia Police Department report in the incident indicates Fayne and Weaver initially instructed Lalk to drive to East St. Louis.

Upon seeing a key to a Jeep once inside Lalk’s car, the pair instructed him to drive to his house in Columbia, presumably to steal the other vehicle.

In court, Webb described the act as a “heinous, thought-out, planned attack” that “took advantage of someone trying to do an extra job.”

When the suspects were unable to leave with the Uber driver’s vehicle initially, Webb said they then subjected Lalk to “what must have felt like hours of terror.”

Webb said “the audacity” of targeting Lalk’s home and the duration of his captivity “speaks to a departure” from regular criminal behavior.

To further argue against releasing Fayne and Weaver from custody, Webb said the pair obviously have access to firearms, as indicated by the weapons found in the GMC used to pick up the alleged carjackers in Columbia.

Webb added that Weaver told police where to find the guns and what type of firearms they were, adding to the probable cause that the two were guilty of the alleged crimes.

Monroe County Resident Circuit Judge Judge Chris Hitzemann took a brief recess to examine the evidence submitted by Webb for the pretrial detention hearing.

In addition to the police report, Webb submitted two surveillance videos from the CPD headquarters taken during the incident.

Webb noted one of the videos captures the flash of the gun as a shot is fired inside Lalk’s vehicle, followed by the two suspects seen fleeing the vehicle.

It was also revealed Fayne is currently on probation in St. Clair County due to a prior conviction of being in possession of a converted/stolen vehicle.

While public defender Art Morris noted that crime is a “property offense” and not violent in nature, Webb argued the “second chance” of probation was not enough, and what is “most troubling and telling” was that Fayne was engaged in yet another attempted vehicle theft – although this one included a willingness to take another man’s life in the process.

The suspects “nearly killed” Lalk, Webb said, adding he believed that was the intention in firing the weapon.

No charges have been filed as of yet against the two females who attempted to pick up the suspects in Columbia immediately following the shooting.

Police said Weaver knew one of the women, who are ages 24 and 27 and both from East St. Louis, and that he called one of them to pick up the suspects.

At a news conference on Monday, Donjon said prosecutors are looking into the possibility of federal charges in this case due to the fact it involved crossing state lines.

Donjon also spoke to the outpouring of support for Lalk following news of his shooting. The GoFundMe page has raised more than $67,000 as of early Tuesday afternoon.

“This is a great community, close-knit, everybody’s close together,” Donjon said. “My two boys he’s coached in hockey and currently is still coaching one of my boys. Great family, great man, and for that to happen to anybody… but the community is really coming together, and well-wishes are pouring out.”

During Monday night’s meeting of the Columbia City Council, Columbia Mayor Bob Hill thanked residents for being supportive of law enforcement by allowing for the purchase of a drone, which was used in the apprehension of Weaver and Fayne.

Donjon also referred to the use of the drone during the press conference, noting it had been used in the past, but never to find persons suspected of a crime.