Bruce showed no emotion and barely moved as Heggie read the 17 charges against him in connection to the attack.

Bruce then told Heggie that he had not spoken to any lawyers, and said he wanted to seek representation by the public defenders office.

Bruce was led out of the courtroom after a hearing that lasted less than 10 minutes.

Bruce had no significant criminal record before he was charged in the attack.

He has been accused of entering the store pretending to be a customer, leaving, and then re-entering with a gun. He ordered three women to the back of the store and made them take their clothes off at gunpoint, charges say. He then forced two victims to perform sex acts at gunpoint, and tried to do the same with Schmidt, killing her when she refused, according to the charges.

He disappeared after the daytime attack on busy Manchester Road but was arrested Wednesday after a two-day manhunt.

At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch said a tip had led to the break in the case.

Shortly before the shooting, Bruce visited the Hotshots sports bar in the same shopping plaza, said Amanda Hodge, a regular customer who lives in the Metro East.