UPDATE: St. Louis police have a person of interest in custody in connection to the fatal shooting of a St. Louis County Health Department employee. The person of interest is being held on unrelated charges, however the homicide unit is 'confident that the actual suspect will eventually be identified and charged with the murder.'
On August 21, 48-year-old Craig LeFebvre was sitting at a bus stop at 715 South Grand when a bullet intended for someone else hit him.
He was a spokesperson for the St. Louis County Health Department.
"It’s a tragic loss for us as a community, but it's a tragic loss for the region,” said Dr. Emily Doucette, the department’s chief medical officer.
She says as a public health educator, Craig worked on programs that centered around gun violence and helping kids who've experienced trauma heal.
And he loved public transportation. He took public transportation every day from his home in South St. Louis to his office in Berkeley.
"He was a real advocate of the public sector. He served on the election board. He was a big advocate of public schools and public transit. It's true he did not own a car,” Doucette said.
Craig’s co-workers learned about his death when they arrived at work Wednesday morning. His closest colleagues spent hours Wednesday sharing their memories of him.
Police said the shooting happened after an argument at the Chipotle on the 200 block of Grand. Police said the argument continued down the street at the bus and MetroLink station, where the shooting happened around 6:40 p.m.
CrimeStoppers is offering a $5,000 reward and Metro Transit is offering another $1,000 for any information leading to an arrest. You are asked to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.
Statement from County Executive Steve Stenger on the death of St. Louis County Employee Craig LeFebvre
“We were saddened to learn that Craig LeFebvre, a longtime St. Louis County employee, was shot and killed Tuesday night at a bus stop on South Grand Boulevard in the city of St. Louis. I extend my deepest sympathies to Craig’s family, friends and fellow employees. According to police, Craig was an innocent bystander in this incident, which started as an argument and escalated into gunfire some distance from the bus stop. Craig had worked as a public information officer in our Department of Public Health since 2007. He distinguished himself as a hard-working public servant, a dependable employee and a friend to his fellow staff members. He will be deeply missed.”
Statement from MetroLink
At Metro Transit, we are not immune to the violent crimes occurring in the municipalities we serve. In this case, a dispute that started at another location in the community ended with deadly violence near a major MetroBus stop on Grand Avenue, the Grand Transit Center in St. Louis.
We hope the person responsible for both shootings is swiftly taken into custody. Metro Transit Public Safety officers are assisting the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department with the investigation. Both departments were quick to respond to the shooting scene.
The #70 Grand buses in the area were rerouted for more than three hours while police investigated. MetroLink service was not impacted.
The Homicide Division responded and assumed the investigation. Anyone with information should call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.
