College student fatally shot protecting friend during robbery in St. Louis

ST.LOUIS (WPVI) -- There is a manhunt in Missouri for the suspects who killed a college sophomore during a robbery.

The student's family say Bobby Christman was shot to death while trying to protect his brother and a female friend during a random robbery in St. Louis.

"Bobby is the bravest. He has the most courage. He's the hero," said his father, Bob Christman II.

Police say Bobby, his 17 year-old brother Sean and his friend Jenn from college were parked hear a nightclub in downtown St. Louis on Sunday night, just after midnight.

That's when investigators say a car pulled up and a man got out with a handgun and opened a rear door, trying to grab Jenn's purse.

She resisted and police say Bobby says something that sets the gunman off.

"At that time, the suspect fired a single shot, striking the front, right passenger victim in the head," said St. Louis Police Captain Michael Sack.

Christmas was only 19 years-old and was a former high school wrestler and rugby player.

He was studying at Southeast Missouri State University and wanted to be a soldier.

"Great guy, would do anything for anyone. We're devastated," said Paul Wibbenmeyer, one of Christman's fraternity brothers.

A young man so beloved, his family says the hospital where he dies was overwhelmed by the number of friends who showed up.

"They needed security to manage the crowd at the hospital," said Bobby's mother, Dawn Christman.

Both Sean and Jenn were too shaken up to speak to the media, but Jenn told ABC News in a statement: "I love him so much for everything he did for me and Sean that night."

She now calls him her guardian angel.

Police are desperate to make sure these killers don't strike again.

They say they are searching through a silver 2004 Chrysler Sebring, the car the suspects fled in from Christman's killing and a car they allegedly carjacked on Friday.

"They abandoned that vehicle and ran and because the officers were unfamiliar with the area, they lost the suspects, but we do have the vehicle," said St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson.