ST. LOUIS — Two men are in critical condition after they shot each other in downtown St. Louis, police said.
The shooting happened at around 1:30 a.m. at Washington Avenue and North Ninth Street, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said.
Officers found a 35-year-old man shot in the leg outside the Marriott St. Louis Grand hotel. Bullets shattered a set of double doors leading into the hotel's garage.
A second man was found shot in an SUV a few blocks north at Lumiere Place Boulevard and Cole Street. Both men were rushed to area hospitals, where they were listed in critical condition.
The preliminary investigation suggested the first man had been walking near the hotel when the man in the SUV pulled up and started shooting at him. The first man returned fire, striking the man in the SUV. He drove away, coming to a stop at Lumiere Place and Cole.
Police did not give further details on what led to the shooting but also listed the incident as a first-degree robbery and a "violation of Missouri controlled substance laws."
An investigation is underway.