Red Fox Declared Unsafe Days After Stabbing, City Documents Extensive Hazards

Red Fox Declared Unsafe Days After Stabbing, City Documents Extensive Hazards

LEBANON, Mo. — Just four days after a man was stabbed at the Red Fox property on Route 66, City of Lebanon code enforcement and Lebanon Police Department nuisance inspectors entered the property and documented extensive safety hazards. The structure has now been declared unsafe.

Lebanon Police were called to the Red Fox Motel, located in the 1400 block of West Route 66, at approximately 7:13 p.m. on Oct. 4 for a reported stabbing.

Police said a 30-year-old Lebanon man suffered a stab wound and was transported for medical treatment. He was later reported to be in stable condition.

Officers located 26-year-old Allen Fuller of Lebanon in the parking lot and took him into custody without incident. According to LPD, witnesses at the scene and Fuller himself identified Fuller as the individual responsible for the stabbing. Fuller was later booked into the Laclede County Jail pending formal charges.

The stabbing brought renewed attention and urgency to what city officials describe as long-standing concerns surrounding the Red Fox property.

On Oct. 8, a complaint from a nearby resident regarding people camping on the property provided code inspectors grounds to enter and document conditions.

What they found resulted in the structure being declared unsafe.

Inspectors documented damage to load-bearing walls, debris falling from the exterior and emergency walkways blocked by clutter. The property was also cited for improper storage of trash and debris, unroadworthy vehicles on site and a lack of basic utilities throughout the building.

Police Chief Jerry Harrison said the property has been a concern in the neighborhood for some time and that the Oct. 4 incident increased the urgency of addressing those concerns.

“Once we had grounds to inspect, our officers and code team moved immediately, and what they found confirmed this property isn’t safe,” Harrison said. “We’re not going to let conditions like this put our residents at risk.”

Harrison said the Lebanon Police Department is using both criminal law and code enforcement to address problems at the property.

“The Lebanon Police Department takes a zero-tolerance approach to lawless behavior,” Harrison said. “When violence happens, we use every resource available, criminal law and code enforcement, to protect the neighborhood. Just like Gasconade Park, we’re helping this community take it back.”

The action also comes as Lebanon continues to make code enforcement a citywide priority. In the city’s 2026 community survey conducted this summer, residents ranked removing dangerous and condemned structures as their top code enforcement priority.

Under the city’s property maintenance code, a structure declared unsafe is scheduled for a hearing before further action is taken. A date for the Red Fox hearing has not yet been set.

The Oct. 4 stabbing investigation also remains active. Police previously said additional individuals could be identified for potential charges as investigators continue gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses.

Lebanon Now will continue following both the criminal investigation and the city’s proceedings involving the Red Fox property.