ST. LOUIS — Three men were shot Saturday evening in downtown St. Louis, police said.
The violence unfolded shortly after 8 p.m. in the 700 block of South 4th Street, south of the city center.
One man was shot multiple times. He was in critical condition when paramedics transported him to the hospital. Police said “death was imminent.”
Another man was shot in the back. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he was rushed into surgery.
And a third man was shot in the leg. Police said he was conscious and breathing when he was taken to the hospital.
Detectives and evidence technicians were focused on a bullet-riddled Genesis sedan that had come to a stop near the Meineke Car Care Center. Several nearby cars were also damaged.
People milled around the area for hours after the shooting—some with blood on their clothing and others who were enjoying a night out at one of several nearby restaurants like Broadway Oyster Bar or The Honky Tonk STL.
Downtown resident Crystal Bull said she walked to Billy's on Broadway for dinner.
"We saw one police car fly by the wrong way ... and then we saw another five or six going the wrong way," she said. "We didn't hear any wrecks or gunshots ... but there was a train going by. When we were done eating, we walked over to see what happened."
Despite Saturday's shooting, Bull said she feels safe downtown.
"I've lived downtown for 15 years. I'm not scared to live down here. ... These things happen everywhere. Unfortunately it was a little close to home tonight," she said.
Around the same time, police initially said a woman was shot in the head about a half-mile away near the intersection of South 7th Street and Park Avenue. Shortly before 10 p.m., they clarified their initial report and said she was injured by broken glass.
The two incidents were related, police said.
At least one other person was shot in St. Louis on Saturday.
A 22-year-old man was grazed on the chest from a gunshot at about 2:45 a.m. The man was shot in the 1900 block of Locust Street in the Downtown West neighborhood.
Police asked anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).